Leminkaiya
by Casa Circe
Summary: While the Company of Thorin Oakenshield's fourteenth member was a burglar, its fifteenth was a dragonslayer, a soldier from a far away land with the ability to bend fire.
1. Prologue

_Leminkaiya_

Disclaimer: I do not own either "The Hobbit" or "Avatar: The Last Airbender" but the wonderful lady firebender in the story is my precious.

**PROLOGUE**

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"Good evening. Are you looking for someone?"

The lone traveller looked up into the face of the kind stranger who had spoken, a middle-aged woman with dark hair and eyes of gold. The traveller blinked at the sight of such unusually-colored eyes but then regained his composure.

"Good evening," he greeted cordially, "I am looking for the home of a certain Master Baggins. I was told that it is not far from here."

"You mean Bilbo Baggins?" the lady asked incredulously.

"The very one," the traveller replied, "would you happen to know where he lives? It's just that I've lost my way twice already and it is proving to be a long night."

"Don't worry, it truly isn't far from here," the lady said kindly and she proceeded to give the traveller clear and detailed instructions to Bag End. He seemed relieved to know that his journey was coming to an end.

"Thank you kindly and I wish you a good evening," the traveller said gratefully, and with somewhat of a courtly bow, he took his leave.

The lady watched him go with interest. She had noticed the hooded figure wandering around several times so she decided to offer to help him. She had sensed that he would not seek assistance on his own. No one ever likes to admit being lost.

Although the lady had not encountered many dwarves in her time, she knew one when she saw one. But there was something different about this particular dwarf. He carried himself with a distinctively regal air.

"Now what would a dwarf of noble blood want with old Bilbo?" she thought curiously, "I suppose I'll find out soon enough."

She would have said that she was on her way to visit Bilbo herself but the dwarf looked like he was in a great hurry and she did not want to delay him.


	2. Chapter I

_Leminkaiya_

Disclaimer: I do not own either "The Hobbit" or "Avatar: The Last Airbender" but the wonderful lady firebender in the story is my precious.

NOTE: Now it begins. A little backgrounder on this story. So I've had this idea for a weird Avatar/Hobbit crossover story ever since watching Desolation of Smaug last year. I wanted to add a female firebender OC to Thorin's company but who would not have any romance with ANY character. She would be a former Fire Nation soldier who "escaped" to Middle Earth through Gandalf and who lived a quiet life for ten years until the wizard decides that, like Bilbo, she needs to go on an adventure too. I've had the story outlined in my head for ages but have been too lazy to write it until now because I want to post it before BotFA comes out. More about her backstory will be revealed as we go on.

This story will be based mostly on the movie's events so this first chapter begins when the dwarves arrive at Bag End. Enjoy and please let me know how you like the story.

**CHAPTER ONE**

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"Good heavens! Not another dwarf!"

It was a frazzled Bilbo Baggins who opened the door to yet another unexpected visitor.

"Good evening to you too, my friend," greeted the dark-haired lady with an amused expression. She had known Bilbo for several years now and she had never seen him so distressed.

The hobbit heaved a huge sigh of relief. "Thank goodness it's you, Ainara!" Bilbo exclaimed earnestly, "I thought you were another…"

"Dwarf?" Ainara finished the sentence for him, "But how many dwarves in your house would it take to get you so agitated, my dear Bilbo?"

"Thirteen!" the hobbit cried, "and all of them quite unexpected, I must say. You are always welcome here of course but I am surprised to see you."

Before Ainara could react, a tall, grey figure entered the hallway. "Ah, Ainara, you're here at last!"

"Good evening, Gandalf. I came as you instructed although I don't think you informed Bilbo here of my arrival. Or indeed of that of his other guests, apparently."

"You were invited?" Bilbo asked in astonishment, looking suspiciously at Gandalf.

Ainara shrugged. "I thought you knew. I am sorry to come barging in like this now."

"Nonsense," Gandalf said dismissively, "come along now, there is much still to be discussed."

"However, I didn't come empty-handed," Ainara announced, presenting several packages to her host, "three freshly-baked apple pies. My little contribution to the party."

Bilbo took them gratefully but before he was able to properly thank his old friend for her consideration, several bearded figures appeared in the hallway, attracted by the smell of pastry.

"Did somebody say pies?" a large dwarf with an elaborately braided red beard cried out excitedly while the rest of his companions expressed similar degrees of eagerness. Bilbo sighed, Gandalf rolled his eyes, and Ainara looked at them all in interest. This was turning out to be a very fascinating evening.

"Come on, now," Bilbo protested, "you just finished tidying up."

"Which means maybe we deserve a snack for our efforts," one of the dwarves suggested.

"Well, I hope I brought enough pie for everyone," Ainara said, "I didn't exactly have all the details of this gathering. Gandalf simply told me to be here tonight and to bring some food."

"Which is all that you needed to know," the wizard remarked, "and now I believe introductions are in order."

The rest of the dwarves filled the hallway, curious about the pies but also the person who had brought them. Ainara stared incredulously at all the bearded fellows who stared back at her. She had never seen so many dwarves at one time. Gandalf began to introduce them all one by one and Ainara tried her best to remember all the names. They look at her curiously but all smiled in a friendly manner.

It was only a few minutes later that a familiar face appeared. The other dwarves made way for him and Ainara recognized the dwarf-lord she had met on the road.

"And may I present the leader of our company, Thorin Oakenshield," Gandalf announced.

"We meet again, Master Dwarf," she said cordially and he nodded at her politely.

"The lady was kind enough to give me directions to find this house," Thorin explained when Bilbo asked how they knew each other. Gandalf looked at them thoughtfully before introducing the lady to everyone else.

"And this is Ainara," the wizard said simply, "she comes from a distant land that none of you would be familiar with but she has been living near the Shire for the past ten years. She has some unique skills which I believe will be useful on your quest."

"I'm sorry, quest?" Bilbo and Ainara asked in simultaneous confusion.

All heads turned to Gandalf who motioned for all of them to re-enter dining room where he promised he would explain everything. Once they were all seated and settled (and after the pies were immediately consumed), the wizard began his tale.

"Far to the east, over ranges and rivers, beyond woodlands and wastelands, lies a single, solitary peak…"

Bilbo and Ainara listened intently as Gandalf and the dwarves spoke of the Lonely Mountain, Erebor, and of this being the time to return to reclaim it from the clutches of "the beast.". While Bilbo struggled to comprehend what the dwarves were referring to, Ainara knew it immediately. She exchanged a grave look with Gandalf and she began to understand why he had called her there that night. The dwarves began to squabble about facing the dragon. But all fell silent once Thorin spoke. Ainara watched the dwarf leader carefully, impressed by his dignity and determination. He truly was of a line of great kings.

Gandalf continued to explain the details of the plan, revealing a key, a map with strange runes that held the secret to the key, and the need for a burglar. Ainara was just as surprised as Bilbo to hear the latter referred to as a burglar but she said nothing. She watched with awe as Gandalf defended the hobbit's merits as a burglar and she saw that even Bilbo did not dare contest it.

"Hobbits are remarkably light on their feet," the wizard explained, "in fact, they can pass unseen by most if they choose. And while the dragon is accustomed to the smell of dwarf, the scent of hobbit is all but unknown to him. You asked me to find the fourteenth member of this company and I have chosen Mister Baggins. There is a lot more to him than appearances suggest. And he has a great deal to offer than any of you know. Including himself."

The dwarves said nothing and Bilbo seemed too shocked to react.

"And while you may not yet see the need for a fifteenth member in your company," Gandalf continued, "you do not know how unique an opportunity you have to welcome Ainara amongst you."

The lady sighed, having expected this. If Bilbo had been recruited for this mission, she knew that she was definitely being dragged into it as well. But she was not sure if she would protest quite as much as the hobbit did.

"You asked me earlier about how many dragons I have faced," the wizard proceeded, "well, we are fortunate to have in our midst someone who has faced dragons before, which is more than I can say for the younger among you. And I do believe that in such a quest, it would be infinitely useful to have a dragonslayer with you."

At the word "dragonslayer" the dwarves began to mutter among themselves excitedly and Bilbo stared at his friend in complete shock. He had only known her to be a very mild-mannered foreigner who liked baking pies and living a quiet life. While she liked talking of adventures as much as he did, he never imagined she had actually been involved in any before coming to the Shire.

Ainara found herself being bombarded with questions by the dwarves and she noticed that even Thorin had taken a greater interest in her as well. She tried to glare at Gandalf for having revealed her history so abruptly but the wizard was unfazed.

"Well, it is true that I have faced dragons before," she explained awkwardly, "Several, in fact, if you must know. But I have never faced them alone."

"But you won't be alone, you'll be with us," one of the younger dwarves, Fili, said excitedly.

"Yes, but…" Ainara replied, only to be interrupted by Gandalf, "It is not necessary to get into the details of your past missions here. There will be time enough for that on the road. As with the case of Mister Baggins, if the dwarves have any doubts about your abilities, they will have to simply trust my judgment."

"But I suppose a little demonstration would not go amiss," Ainara suggested, seeing how skeptical some of the other dwarves were, and though she had not used her firebending in battle for years, she found that she was not reluctant to do so.

"That won't be necessary," Gandalf declared in a tone of finality and giving her a look that said that she was not to display any firebending at the moment. She looked at him questioningly but decided to follow his orders and simply trust in his judgment. The dwarves, however, looked a little disappointed at this.

"If it helps," Gandalf added, "Ainara is also good with a sword. Having been a soldier in her native land, she has had some significant experience."

This last declaration was met with cheers from the dwarves and another incredulous look from Bilbo. The hobbit still looked unconvinced. Later on, he and Ainara were given long, detailed contracts which caused the former even more doubts but seemed more a formality for the latter. Ainara was not interested in the one-fifteenth of treasure that she stood to gain. It was the journey that truly mattered more to her.

Gandalf tried in vain to convince the hobbit to join them but Bilbo stubbornly refused. Ainara was not surprised by his decision but she was also saddened by it. While she still had some doubts about the quest, she trusted Gandalf and after listening to the dwarves speak so passionately about reclaiming their homeland, she wanted to be a part of that too. She knew next to nothing about them but she saw that they were good-hearted folk, earnest and determined, and she was reminded of how she used to be a long time ago, before she arrived in Middle-Earth, betrayed and broken.

Balin was sadly describing the lack of strength and experience of their small company and Ainara waited to see the dwarf leader's response.

"I would take each and every one of these dwarves over an army from the Iron Hills," Thorin declared proudly, "for when I called upon them, they answered. Loyalty, honor, a willing heart, I can ask no more than that."

It was after hearing those words that the warrior decided that this was someone at whose side she would be honored to fight. And it had been a very long time since she had felt this way.

She signed the contract and handed it back to Balin reverently. The old dwarf re-read the document while the former soldier addressed Thorin.

"I'm not overly fond of revisiting the past," Ainara said gravely, "because bitter experience has taught me to be wary of putting my faith in just any cause. But I believe your quest is a noble one and I trust Gandalf's judgment. So if my skills and experience can be useful to you, then I am prepared to be of service."

Ainara bowed respectfully to show her sincerity.

"Then it is an honor to welcome you into our company," Thorin replied solemnly, moved by this show of loyalty and support from someone he had just met when so many of his kin seemed to have forsaken him.

While dwarves conferred with Gandalf for a few more minutes, the hobbit went to his friend, who was proving to be full of surprises. She smiled at him with encouragement because she noticed that he was having second thoughts about his decision and she didn't want him to regret anything.

"You're not seriously thinking of joining this mad quest, are you?" Bilbo asked nervously, "it sounds dangerous."

"It's an adventure, Bilbo," Ainara replied earnestly, "I know you might not approve of it but I do think it would be good for you too. And something tells me that an opportunity like this is not likely to happen again."


	3. Chapter II

_Leminkaiya_

Disclaimer: I do not own either "The Hobbit" or "Avatar: The Last Airbender" but the wonderful lady firebender in the story is my precious.

NOTE: Welcome to the second chapter! I will try to update as fast as I can since we still have a lot of story to go through before the end. The chapters won't be very long but hopefully they will be substantial enough to be interesting. I've actually made more progress in writing faster than I thought so you can expect another chapter this week.

In terms of Ainara's place in the Avatarverse timeline, she left the Four Nations sometime during the Hundred Year War, years before Aang is discovered in the South Pole. More details about her background will emerge as this story progresses. Suffice to know that she served in the Fire Nation army but after some unpleasantness, found herself in Middle Earth.

Enjoy and do let me know what you think!

**CHAPTER TWO**

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"My dear Bilbo! I'm so glad you decided to join us after all!"

Ainara smiled warmly as she helped her friend mount a pony. Bilbo thanked her as he took the reins uneasily.

"I decided to take your advice in the end," he told her, "though I'm still not quite sure what exactly I've gotten into."

"Neither am I," she reassured him, "but now at least, we can face the unknown together."

"That is some comfort," the hobbit admitted. For while the dwarves were friendly enough, both the firebender and the hobbit were grateful to have another familiar face to accompany them on this journey since Gandalf continued to be as mysterious as ever.

Ainara was no stranger to adapting herself to drastic changes. After all, ten years ago she had found herself alone in a strange land. But she had gotten accustomed to the quiet life of the Shire so leaving on a new adventure among strangers would still be a challenge to her.

She also wanted to keep an eye on Bilbo. He was by no means a weak fellow and she had enough faith that he could endure as much as any of them when the time came, but she still felt quite protective of him. He had been one of the few close friends she had made during her years in the Shire and she was determined that no harm would come to him during this trip. Though she was certain that none of them would emerge unscathed from this fateful journey, she still wanted to shield her friend from as much damage as she could. His was a gentle heart that she did not want to see broken.

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Days passed and as they covered more ground, Bilbo and Ainara learned more and more about their traveling companions. The dwarves shared tales of their exploits and of the glorious days of Erebor under King Thror. The two new recruits listened in awe to every story and gained greater respect and admiration for the dwarves and their leader. To Bilbo, the history of the dwarves was like something he had only read in books so he felt very privileged to somehow be a part of it. Ainara was no stranger to great kingdoms or powerful rulers but the more she heard about the suffering endured by Thorin's people, the more she was glad that she had decided to join this quest.

"Get a fire going!" Thorin ordered Oin and Gloin as they settled to make camp for the night.

"Let me help with that!" Ainara offered, much to the dwarves' delight. The lady had proven to be exceptionally skilled at making fires. She would barely rub two sticks or two stones together and large flames would appear. The dwarves were very impressed by this skill which they thought was somehow connected to her being a dragonslayer.

Following an argument with Thorin, Gandalf trudged off grumbling to himself, "I've had enough of dwarves for one day!"

He passed Ainara and told her curtly, "A word with you."

She nodded and followed the wizard quickly. As much as she had enjoyed the company of the dwarves, she had not had an opportunity for a serious talk with Gandalf and she still had many questions to ask him not least was why he forbade her from showing her firebending to the others. Once they were both some distance from the camp, the wizard finally calmed down and they began a long overdue discussion. They were both seated on two boulders and the old man brought out a pipe which he began to smoke contentedly.

"You have questions," he said simply.

"I'll start with the simplest but also most complicated," Ainara began, "why?"

Gandalf smiled knowingly, having expected this. He blew a smoke ring that resembled a familiar symbol. Ainara frowned, recognizing the Fire Nation insignia.

"You've kept some of your old armor," the wizard observed, nodding towards the red and black breastplate Ainara wore under her dark-colored cloak. She was also wearing a pair of Fire Nation army boots which looked well-maintained despite the passage of time.

"Only what was left of it," she replied gravely, remembering the sorry state she had been in when Gandalf had rescued her and brought her to Middle Earth more than ten years ago. She saw that the wizard was remembering that day too.

"I do not have the power to send you back," the wizard said somberly.

"I think that in my heart, I've always known that," Ainara replied with a sad smile.

"And even if you did return, it would be a very different world," Gandalf explained, "from what I hear the Avatar has been found."

"After all these years?" Ainara asked incredulously.

"I do not know the details," Gandalf continued, "but I believe he is on a mission to end the war."

"And he would be right to do so," Ainara agreed, "My country has caused pain and suffering for far too long. If anyone is capable of bringing peace back to the world, it is the Avatar."

"That is his destiny. But yours has led you here. You were the only survivor in that treacherous attack. And even when you first arrived in Middle-Earth I was certain that you would have a greater role to play in this world."

"So you think it is my destiny is to help the dwarves in their quest?"

"I cannot be completely certain, of course. But I don't think it is by chance that a firebender is available when there is a dragon to defeat, wouldn't you agree?"

Ainara could not help but smile. "One firebender is no guarantee that the dragon will be slain."

"But your presence certainly increases their chances to succeed. And they need all the help they can get."

"I will do my best," the firebender said earnestly.

"I know you will," the wizards said kindly, "and that's all I ask of you. Just like Bilbo Baggins, there is more to you than you realize. You only need the opportunity to show what you are truly capable of."

"Thank you. But there is one other thing. Why won't you let me use my firebending in front of them?"

"Now is not yet the moment to reveal that," Gandalf explained patiently, "As you know, there are no benders in Middle Earth. Yours is a power we cannot display carelessly. And since firebending has such close associations with dragons, I fear that it might put you in a negative light where some of the dwarves are concerned."

"What do you mean?"

"The younger ones will be amazed but the others, especially Thorin, might become suspicious of you. After all, the enemy is also one who wields fire to cause death and destruction. And Thorin has been living with the nightmares of the dragon for many, many years."

"Then should I not show him that fire can be also used against his enemy?"

"Before you can reveal your power, I need for him to trust you. And so far, I think you have succeeded in laying some groundwork. He would not have accepted you into his company on my urging alone. However, he is still somewhat doubtful of what you and Bilbo can offer because he does not know you as I do. But there are many trials ahead and I believe that both of you will show Thorin Oakenshield that he has friends still who will stand by him."

Gandalf said no more and left the firebender to reflect on his words. He knew her too well. She was a warrior at heart and was never meant to spend the rest of her days in peaceful obscurity. She needed a cause to fight for and someone to believe in. And once she found a purpose, she would devote her life to it.

"Thorin Oakenshield does not know how fortunate he was to have such a friend by his side," the wizard thought, "But he will know it soon enough."

"I think it's time we head back," Gandalf said with a sigh after some time had passed in serious contemplation, "Hopefully those dwarves haven't gotten themselves into too much trouble."

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Bilbo was running out of ideas.

He had managed to temporarily distract the three huge trolls from devouring any of the dwarves by making up stories about seasonings and parasites but it was no use. Dull as they were, the trolls recognized when they were being played and they had figured out the hobbit's scheme. Bilbo racked his brain for anything else he could say to distract them a bit longer when he noticed something about the fire over which some of the dwarves were being turned on a spit. It was flickering, and if Bilbo wasn't mistaken, it seemed to be getting smaller.

"What is going on here?" one of the trolls complained, having noticed the change too, "Our fire's going out!"

"Well, do something about it then," another troll ordered, "How hard can it be to keep the fire burning?"

"It's not my fault," the first troll protested as he struggled to feed the fire which kept on flickering and shrinking, "there's something wrong with it!"

"Maybe there's something wrong with you!" his companion roared.

And soon the three trolls forgot began bickering amongst themselves while the flames continued to dwindle. Bilbo stared at this curiously but was more grateful that something had both distracted the trolls and kept the dwarves on the spit further from danger.

"The dawn will take you all!" came a booming voice.

Gandalf then appeared, breaking a boulder with his staff, and allowing the light of the dawn to shine on the trolls. They turned immediately to stone, much to everyone's relief.

"Looks like we got back just in time," Ainara remarked as she helped Bilbo get out of his sack. The hobbit was too tired by the ordeal to be able to express adequately his gratitude.

"Please don't ever leave me alone with them again," the hobbit whispered discreetly to his friend.


	4. Chapter III

_Leminkaiya_

Disclaimer: I do not own either "The Hobbit" or "Avatar: The Last Airbender" but the wonderful lady firebender in the story is my precious.

NOTE: I changed the timeline from the movie a bit to give them a few more days between finding the troll hoard and then being attacked by the goblins and wargs. I needed some relatively quiet time for Ainara to share her story with Bilbo and the dwarves so you will be finding out more of her background as well.

I've managed to make a lot of progress writing the next few chapters so I can definitely update twice a week and therefore finish the story in time for the third movie. So you will only have to wait a few days between each new chapter.

I know that a crossover with an OC isn't likely to get a wide audience unless it is exceptional so it is an honor to have anyone read this at all. So to the handful of you who are bothering to read this, thank you very much. I'd love to hear from you! Please do leave a word or two to let me know what you think of each chapter. Thank you so much and I hope you enjoy this one!

**CHAPTER THREE**

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"Tell us about your land, Ainara," Kili asked eagerly one night.

It was several days after they had escaped the trolls and found their hoard. The time had passed uneventfully so far and although the dwarves had shared many stories of their history and their people, they became curious about that of their foreign companion. The other dwarves soon voiced their interest as well and they gathered around the firebender, like children waiting to be told a story. Thorin said nothing but even he could not hide his curiosity. And Bilbo was just as keen on hearing about Ainara's story as the others.

"I've known you for years but you've never talked about your past," the hobbit commented.

"Well, you never asked," Ainara replied candidly, "but I suppose I owe you a story too. But this might take some time."

"It's a long way to the Lonely Mountain," Bofur pointed out, the others nodding in agreement.

The firebender shot a look at Gandalf who nodded gravely but there was a hint of warning in his eyes. Somehow, she was not yet to reveal her firebending. But this was already a test, to show her companions that she understood their struggle and that she could be relied upon to help them in their mission. But even with some details left out, this was going to be a long story so she made sure she and everyone else was seated comfortably around the fire.

"I come from a distant land, called the Four Nations which were divided among the four elements, Water, Earth, Fire, Air," she began, and she was careful to describe the different cultures without mentioning bending. She simply said that each nation had an affinity to one of the elements and everyone had distinctive traditions linked to their elements. She then focused on the Fire Nation and told her companions about growing up in the army.

"I've been a soldier all my life," Ainara declared proudly, "it's all I've ever wanted to be. I come from two noble lines of great Fire Nation generals from both my mother and father's sides. Being a warrior has always been in my blood. I was an only child so it was natural for me to follow in my parents' footsteps. And I was always proud to do so. I never felt like I was forced to follow a tradition and my parents never pressured me to become someone I was not. I chose my own path and even if it cost me much later on, I never regretted becoming a soldier in the Fire Nation Army. I trained under some of the great masters and I served some of the bravest and noblest officers."

The whole company listened, enthralled by Ainara's account of life in the Fire Nation military. The younger dwarves were completely in awe of their new companion and even the older ones could not help but be impressed by her story. She spoke with such sincerity and conviction that they did not doubt her words at all, even if some of the details about her land were strange to them. She also did not seem to be boasting about her fighting ability and they were sure they would see proof of this soon enough.

Bilbo was amazed to hear of all her exploits and felt that he was meeting someone knew. He had always known her as a quiet, private person who caused no trouble and baked excellent pies. And to hear that she was a fierce warrior from a faraway land was such a revelation to him.

Even Gandalf, who was well acquainted with Ainara's history and who probably knew even more about some aspects of her world than she did, listened with interest to his friend's words. He knew that this was the first time she was speaking of her past in a long time and he was certain that it was doing her good. She needed to remember certain events, no matter how painful, so that she could properly face her demons and move on. He could see that the more she talked about herself, the more confidence she regained. The years in isolation had made her somewhat shy and sorrowful but she was gradually opening up again and the wizard was glad.

"What about the dragonslaying?" Fili inquired, "What was it like?"

"Terrifying, to be honest," Ainara replied with a shudder as she revisited the memories of those days, "I was lucky to escape alive."

There were moments of those missions she did not want to talk about and the dwarves understood this and did not press her.

"But I don't think I've ever faced a beast as terrible as this Smaug," the firebender admitted, "the dragons in my land were huge and dangerous. But I don't think any of them caused as much destruction as Smaug did. And as far as I know, our dragons could not speak. At least not in any language we understood."

"Well, Smaug is an exception," Bofur remarked with a sigh.

"Those differences aside, surviving a dragon's wrath is a rare thing," Balin said wisely, "and your experience will certainly prove invaluable to us when the time comes."

The other dwarves nodded and Ainara thanked them humbly. She tried to catch Thorin's eye but he was looking away, lost in some sad memory.

"But how did you come to our world?" Ori voiced one of the questions all of them had been very eager to ask. Once again, all eyes were on the dark-haired lady.

She sighed heavily but was determined to tell them the truth, no matter how painful. She had not spoken of that terrible moment for years and somehow she needed to speak of it now so that it might be easier to forget.

The dwarves sensed that this was a sensitive topic to her. Thorin saw a shadow fall upon her features that he recognized only too well.

"Perhaps it is not easy for you to talk about it," Balin said kindly, "so we will not press you."

"Thank you for your consideration," Ainara replied, "indeed it is not easy to talk about but I feel that I must. It's not exactly a secret but I've kept it hidden in my memory long enough."

Once again, she exchanged a look with Gandalf. The old wizard nodded at her encouragingly.

"Ten years ago, my men and I were betrayed by our king," Ainara recounted gravely, much to the shock of all her listeners except Gandalf. With a sad but determined expression, the warrior continued her tale.

"We were in the middle of war, a war that some of us believed had lasted for far too long. While we had all fought for the glory and honor of our country, we began to have doubts. My men and I had fought for our country across all the Four Nations so we had seen the kind of destruction our war had caused on thousands of innocent people. We noticed that the Fire Lord was only concerned about gaining more power even if it meant ruining the lives of so many. Our eyes were opened to the flaws of our campaign and some of us dared to question our superiors. We should have known then that any hint of insubordination would not go unpunished.

Those who were lucky to escape imprisonment or execution became deserters and disappeared into the wild. My men and I suffered a different kind of punishment. We had not yet abandoned our posts and though we were reluctant, we still obeyed orders. One day we were sent on a secret mission. We were but a handful, some of the bravest and most loyal souls I have ever had the privilege of fighting with. Too late did we realize that a trap had been set for us. We found ourselves outnumbered by other soldiers, sent by the Fire Lord to execute us for 'treason.'

I do not know how I survived that attack. All I remember Gandalf rescuing me from the battlefield and bringing me to safety, far away from the world I had known."

Ainara concluded her tale and the whole company sat in thoughtful silence. The dwarves looked at their companion with renewed admiration and Bilbo was almost in tears, so moved was he by his friend's account of her struggles. Ainara nodded gratefully at Gandalf who approached her and gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

"I owe you my life," the firebender said earnestly, "so how could I refuse your invitation to an adventure?"

Seeing that the others continued to stare at her sadly, the warrior smiled warmly at them.

"Well, that's my story then," she declared, "but I do not like dwelling on the past. What I am looking forward to is helping all of you on this quest! It's been a long time since I've held a sword in my hand and you have no idea how much I've missed it!"

The dwarves gave a cheer and the mood was significantly lightened. But no one forgot a word of what was shared that night and for the next few days, Bilbo and the younger dwarves continued to ask about Ainara's other adventures and experiences. They were careful enough not to refer to the unpleasant events of her past but they were always curious about her country's history and culture. And not having spoken of the Fire Nation for so long, Ainara enjoyed telling them about it. And though Thorin never asked her about anything, she noticed that whenever she happened to be telling Kili and Fili about her days as a soldier, their uncle always seemed to be listening discreetly. More than anything, Ainara hoped that she could gain his trust because she had a great respect for him.

They continued on their journey in relative peace. And though Ainara continued to discreetly ask Gandalf when she would finally reveal her firebending to her companions, the wizard always replied that it was not yet the time.

"Don't you think they will resent me all the more the longer I keep this from them?" she told him one night.

"You have not lied about anything so far," Gandalf reassured her, "and you and I both know that you have not yet recovered your full strength. You have not used firebending in a fight in ten years."

"But I feel stronger and stronger everyday," she protested, "surely that should be enough for a simple demonstration. You know that I've already been discreetly bending to start small fires and whatnot."

"Trust me, when the moment comes for you to use your bending, it will be for more than just a demonstration," Gandalf said mysteriously.

"Very well," the warrior conceded, "but when that time comes I will tell them that it was you who told me to delay this disclosure."

"Go ahead," the wizard replied in amusement, "you may allow yourself to be intimidated by these dwarves but I certainly will not. And do not worry too much. When the time comes, they will understand."

Though she still had some doubts, Ainara nodded and followed Gandalf's advice. She didn't always understand him but he had never led her astray.

Later on, to keep themselves in fighting condition, the dwarves decided to have some sparring sessions with one another. The more experienced dwarves showed the younger ones how to handle weapons. Ainara was a patient teacher and she even shared certain techniques that were new to Dwalin, Balin, Oin, Gloin, Bofur, Bombur, Bifur, Dori, Nori, and Thorin. All the younger dwarves were thrilled to learn these new skills.

Even Bilbo had to learn some basic moves and fighting positions. The hobbit proved not too clumsy with his new elven blade though he still hoped he would not have to use it. There were moments when he felt slightly out of place in the group because he was not an experienced fighter like his friend. But she always seemed to sense when he was uneasy and she would quickly reassure him that he belonged with the group as much as she did.

"You need to believe in yourself a little more, my dear Bilbo," she would tell him, "but until you do, know that I believe in you. And so does Gandalf."

These words always brought the hobbit some comfort and he was grateful to have an old friend by his side on such an unpredictable journey.

As the days passed, the dwarves grew more and more at ease with their two new companions and though they still had a long way to go, the road ahead seemed less forbidding.


	5. Chapter IV

_Leminkaiya_

Disclaimer: I do not own either "The Hobbit" or "Avatar: The Last Airbender" but the wonderful lady firebender in the story is my precious.

NOTE: Here is a shorter chapter but an action-filled one. Something significant happens here so I needed one chapter just for this even if it is shorter than the others. And there might be some slightly gory details mentioned here but I've tried to keep them in moderation. So I hope that doesn't bother you too much.

I'll post another chapter in a few days. I hope you like this one and please do let me know what you think!

**CHAPTER FOUR**

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"Stay together!" Gandalf urged.

The company tried their best to put as much distance as they could between them and their pursuers, a vicious orc pack riding wargs. Radagast had managed to draw their attention away from the dwarves for a while but the diversion was temporary. Some of the wargs had caught the scent of dwarves and were hot on the chase.

When the first orcs appeared, Bilbo and Ainara could not help but stare at them. The hobbit had only ever heard of orcs in stories and he found them even more fearsome than he imagined. Ainara was instantly repulsed by them. She had never seen such vile and hideous creatures in her life.

As they fled, the dwarves tried to decrease their enemies by cutting down any orc and warg that came near them. Kili, the archer, brought down a few more with his arrows and even Ori did some damage with his slingshot. But this was not enough.

"There's more coming!" Kili cried, warning the group and taking aim at another orc.

They all looked frantically around them while Gandalf struggled to find the best escape route. Up until then, Ainara had been helping by skillfully using her sword to stab and slash at orcs but she felt that she could be more effective with her other skills.

"Gandalf!" she cried and it was no longer a question. The wizard knew at once what she meant and gave a curt nod. Ainara could not help but smile as she took a deep breath and gathered her strength. She had been eager to fight the orcs from the moment she laid eyes on the foul beings.

"We're surrounded!" Fili declared as he took note of the growing number of growling wargs and their foul riders. The dwarves struggled to stay together but they grew more and more worried. Gandalf had gone off to find a way out but they were running out of time.

"What are you doing?" Thorin shouted angrily.

"I'll take care of this," Ainara said calmly as she got into a fighting stance, "what I'm about to show you might shock you a bit, my friends, but what I'm counting on is that it shocks our enemies as well."

Bilbo and the dwarves stared at her in puzzlement but there was no time for Ainara to explain what she meant. Instead, she gave a demonstration. With a few well-aimed punches, she launched several fireballs into the nearest orcs and wargs.

Her victims screamed with agony and their companions stopped in their tracks, caught off guard just as the firebender had hoped. She took advantage of their distraction to blast more fireballs into their faces. The smell of burnt orc and warg filled the air, causing some of the other wargs to back away in fear. The beasts could not be urged to move forward no matter how loud their riders shouted and whipped their backs. The orcs themselves began to look frightened. They had never seen anything like this before and they had certainly never expected the dwarves to have such a formidable ally.

"Do my eyes deceive me?" old Gloin said as he watched the fight.

"Is that fire? Fire coming out of her bare hands?" Bilbo echoed the thoughts of all his companions.

"This can be no dream!" Balin declared incredulously.

"Amazing!" Fili and Kili cried simultaneously.

"So this is the true power of a dragonslayer," Thorin muttered gravely.

Ainara did not hesitate. The memories of years of training and fighting on the battlefield fueled her movements and she became a fearsome warrior once more, taking down orc after orc with blasts of fire from her bare hands. Her enemies fled, screaming in terror, even so far as calling her a monster in their harsh tongue. The brave few who remained tried to bring her down.

But nothing stopped the firebender in her fury. Their poisoned arrows missed her because she was moving too fast. And none could get close enough to slash her with a sword. She had missed this. It had been too long since she had felt so alive. And now, finally free to show her true power, she felt almost unstoppable.

After a few more fireballs, the few orcs that remained scurried away in rage and terror. But the stony field was already littered with the burning corpses of about a dozen orcs and wargs. They had been no match for a master firebender in the daylight.

What finally made Ainara pause in her rampage was the looks on the faces of her companions. They were staring at her with a mix of fascination and fear, the latter wounding her more than any orc blade could. She had expected such a reaction but she was still unprepared for those looks.

"You have nothing to fear from me," she reassured them earnestly, "I am on your side, remember?"

"You saved us!" Fili and Kili cheered with admiration, "You took down the orc pack all by yourself!"

Bilbo gave his friend a nervous smile. But the others remained confused and skeptical. They almost looked betrayed.

Ainara returned their gaze with a hurt expression and yet she could not blame them. Their reactions were only natural. Gandalf had warned her that this would happen the moment she showed her firebending. And while she had initially planned to show more moderation in her display, she had gotten carried away. Having not used firebending in combat for so long, she had been too eager to exhibit her destructive power. So now she needed to face the consequences and already she was beginning to regret her lack of self-control. She did not dare meet Thorin's eyes for fear of what she would see there.

"Don't just stand there gawking, you fools!" came the booming voice of Gandalf momentarily breaking the trance they were all in, "Follow me! This way!"

Slightly recovering from their shock, the dwarves followed the wizard in a subdued manner. Even Thorin was too distracted to argue with Gandalf on their destination.

Ainara looked to the wizard and she was surprised to see that there was no reprimand in his gaze, only sympathy and understanding.

"It will take some time before some of them can fully accept who you are," he whispered to her kindly, "and if they do not, then they are even greater fools than I took them for."

Ainara nodded gratefully to the wizard. With a sigh, she waited some minutes before she joined them hesitantly, still keeping a careful distance from the last dwarves. She was not sure of what to say to them and so far none of them had ventured a word towards her. She could see that the brothers Fili and Kili were full of questions but a stern look from their uncle had silenced them. They were confused by Thorin's reaction but they did not dare question him.

Bilbo, kind soul that he was, remained by his friend's side. He was still shaken by what he had seen but he knew in his heart that Ainara was no danger to any of them. He gave her an awkward but reassuring pat on the arm.

"After all these years, you are still full of surprises," he said lightly. The firebender gave him a grateful smile.

The company followed Gandalf silently through a narrow, rocky path, each member lost in thought over what he had just witnessed. But as they emerged from into a larger area, the sight before them took their breath away. So impressive was it that they all temporarily forgot the wonders that they had seen only moments before. It was as if they had entered another world, one of light and beauty.

"The valley of Imladris," Gandalf declared to the spellbound travellers, "in the common tongue it is known by another name."

"Rivendell," Bilbo said reverently.


	6. Chapter V

_Leminkaiya_

Disclaimer: I do not own either "The Hobbit" or "Avatar: The Last Airbender" but the wonderful lady firebender in the story is my precious.

NOTE: I've changed the first part and made it so Gandalf and Elrond were not speaking Elvish when they greeted each other. It just keeps things simpler for the story.

One of my favorite chapters to write so far so I hope you enjoy it too. I decided to pos this now because the "Battle of the Five Armies" trailer will be released tomorrow and I know I'll be such an emotional wreck when that happens.

**CHAPTER FIVE**

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"Gandalf!"

"Lord Elrond, my friend," the wizard greeted warmly, "where have you been?"

"We've been hunting a pack of Orcs that came up from the South ," the elf lord replied, "we slew what was left of them near the Hidden Pass. Strange for orcs to come so close to our borders. Something or someone has drawn them near."

"Ah, that may have been us," the wizard explained.

Thorin stepped forward to face the lord of Rivendell.

"Welcome, Thorin, son of Thrain," Elrond said cordially.

"I do not believe we have met," Thorin replied somewhat coldly.

"You have your grandfather's bearing," Elrond remarked, "I knew Thror when he ruled under the mountain."

"Indeed," Thorin said curtly, "he made no mention of you."

Elrond ignored the dwarf's icy tone and welcomed the entire company. The dwarves accepted his hospitality with reluctance and suspicion but the elf lord did not take offense. As they made their way into the halls of the Last Homely House, Elrond continued to discuss the situation with Gandalf.

"I noticed that many of the slain orcs to have been burned to death," he observed.

"My apologies," Ainara said humbly, approaching the dark-haired elf and bowing respectfully, "that was my doing."

She had only ever heard tales of the noble line of the Elves and meeting one face to face left her in wonder. The beauty of Rivendell had already enchanted her but seeing members of the fair folk made her marvel even more at the world she had had the good fortune to escape to. But there was also something about this wonderful place that seemed vaguely familiar to her.

Elrond smiled at her with recognition and exchanged a knowing look with Gandalf.

"The lady Ainara," Elrond said gently, "we meet again."

"With all due respect, my lord," she replied in puzzlement, "I do not believe I have had the honor of making your acquaintance. I doubt I would forget meeting you."

She looked at Gandalf for support but he was suddenly busy scolding some of the dwarves for some inappropriate behavior.

"Do not make yourself uneasy," Elrond reassured her, "perhaps you do not remember it because it was long ago and you were a guest at this house but for a brief period of time. You were also very ill and confused by your surroundings. Perhaps it would seem like a dream to you."

"I was here before?" Ainara asked incredulously, "I must have been very ill indeed if I cannot remember such a beautiful place."

"You were weak and delirious," explained Gandalf, who had rejoined the conversation just as suddenly as he had left it, "it was when I first rescued you from the Fire Nation. You suffered many wounds both in body and spirit so I brought you here to be healed. Lord Elrond himself tended to some of your injuries. But we only stayed here for a few days. Once you recovered from the worst of your wounds, I took you to your home near the Shire."

"Then I must apologize again for my thoughtlessness," Ainara asserted in earnest, "it seems that I owe you my life, Lord Elrond, and please know that I am most grateful for all you have done for me."

"There is nothing to apologize for," Elrond assured her kindly, "as Gandalf said, you were only under my roof for a few days and not in a state to remember what happened to you. I am only glad to see that you have recovered your strength, even enough to slay some orcs. And I am grateful for your help in ridding these lands of their foul kind. "

Ainara simply gave a humble nod.

"Do not trouble yourself," the elf lord told her, "I am sure that Gandalf has an explanation for all of this. Feel free to rejoin your company."

"Thank you, Lord Elrond," Ainara replied with a polite bow as she took her leave of the elf and the wizard.

But as she turned to follow the dwarves into one of the halls, she noticed that Thorin had been watching her. He was suspicious enough of her after seeing her firebend; but now, knowing his prejudice against elves and his icy acceptance of Elrond's hospitality, Ainara knew that her being seen speaking to the elf lord only put her in an even worse light in the eyes of the dwarf.

The warrior sighed. This was going to be more complicated than she had anticipated. And she was beginning to understand Gandalf's frustration with the stubbornness of dwarves. She knew that she had done nothing wrong but she was still uncomfortable about being the object of mistrust of those she had chosen to travel with and especially some whom she had grown to respect.

"I'm not ready to face any of them yet," she thought solemnly and she was grateful for the comforts and distraction provided by Rivendell. She went to find a quiet, solitary corner where she could reflect on her predicament in peace.

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While Gandalf and Thorin consulted with Lord Elrond about the mysterious map of Erebor and the rest of the dwarves were enjoying themselves at a feast, Ainara wandered down the moonlit halls of Rivendell.

She took a deep breath and it was as if even the air of this sacred place restored her strength. The warrior understood now how being here could heal a broken spirit. There was something about this place that brought such peace and comfort to the weary.

As she strolled down the stone halls, she thought she heard someone whisper her name. It was a kind, gentle voice but certainly not from any one in the company because it was a woman's voice. The warrior frowned but somehow was not afraid. She followed the echo of her name in the wind until she reached a terrace where she found herself facing the most beautiful woman she had ever seen. An elf lady bathed in light, smiling benevolently at her.

"My lady," the warrior said timidly, falling to her knees and bowing reverently before the bright figure. She was too astounded to say another word.

The vision approached her, took both hands in hers and helped her to her feet.

"Ainara, my child," the lady said gently, "you do not need to bow before me. I am Galadriel of Lothlorien and I am your friend."

Still dazzled by the lady's beauty and radiance, Ainara managed to mutter, "It is a great honor to make your acquaintance, Lady Galadriel."

The lady's smile widened. "I have heard much about you from Mithrandir and Elrond. I am glad that we can finally meet."

"So am I, milady," the warrior replied sincerely, guessing that Mithrandir referred to Gandalf. She was infinitely grateful that she was fully conscious this time she met a noble elf. "I am at your service."

"That is very generous of you," Galadriel remarked serenely, "but it is you I want to help. I sense that you are troubled."

Ainara sighed heavily and then, as concisely as she could, explained her situation to the white lady. Although she felt slightly embarrassed about baring her soul to someone she had just met, she also felt completely at ease in Galadriel's presence. The lady listened to her with the greatest patience and understanding.

"They look at me with fear," the warrior concluded sadly, "and I am afraid that they may never trust me."

"Such it is for all those who wield great power," Galadriel elaborated, "but I see that you have a gentle heart. And your greatest strength is your unwavering loyalty. If they are truly your friends, they will soon see what I have seen."

Unable to find the words to adequately express her gratitude, Ainara simply gazed at the lady with tearful sincerity. Galadriel then gently took one of the warrior's hands in hers.

"Courage," the lady said simply but Ainara felt as if she had been given a very precious gift.

She did not remember much of what followed her encounter with the Lady of Lorien. The next thing she knew she was being roused from a peaceful slumber by one of the dwarves who said that it was time they were on their way. Though her memory of that night was hazy, the firebender was certain that it had not been a dream.

Ainara would never forget the beauty of the Lady Galadriel and the kind words that would always give her strength in her darkest moments.


	7. Chapter VI

_Leminkaiya_

Disclaimer: I do not own either "The Hobbit" or "Avatar: The Last Airbender" but the wonderful lady firebender in the story is my precious.

NOTE: So the BOFA trailer left me an emotional mess. But I'm back now, still shaken though.

There is still so much of the story to finish so I'm going to be posting updates more frequently. You can expect a new chapter every few days.

This was one of my favorite chapters to write. And you'll see why.

Thorin has trust issues. And this side of his character is such fun to explore by showing how he reacts to both Bilbo and Ainara. Since we know how this issue plays out with Bilbo, I'm going to focus on his suspicions of Ainara. I found it interesting to write about because of the contrasts in his approach to both. '

He thinks that Bilbo is too small and weak to be of any help to them while he thinks that Ainara is too powerful that she might cause them problems. One is a liability and the other is a threat. But his doubts and suspicions are all grounded in his fear of growing attached to people and then losing them one way or another (whether by getting themselves killed, abandoning him or betraying him.)

He feels that he already has a dozen of his kin to protect and who put themselves at risk because of him. In a way he does not want any additional (emotional) responsibility.

That's my take on it, anyway. He's a flawed and complex character and such a joy to write. I hope I have done him some justice with my interpretation.

I'm rambling and I apologize. I hope you enjoy the chapter.

**CHAPTER SIX**

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The company continued their journey with renewed strength.

They had left Rivendell so abruptly that Ainara regretted not being able to properly thank Lord Elrond for his hospitality. But something told her that the noble elf lord was well aware of the depths of her gratitude to him.

Before they went much farther, however, the firebender made it a point to apologize to them all for keeping her power secret. At first, she had been nervous about facing them without Gandalf's support but she realized that this was something she had to do on her own. The wizard no doubt had his reasons for staying behind and he had left her this opportunity to defend herself to the dwarves. And she was determined to earn their trust.

"I had wanted to tell you immediately about this but Gandalf had advised against it," she explained, "but I am not making excuses for myself. I never meant to deceive any of you and if I caused any offense, believe me it was unconsciously done. Please forgive me and know that I believe in your cause and I will do everything I can to help you reclaim your homeland."

Even the most skeptical of the dwarves could not help but be impressed by her speech. And she had spoken with such strong conviction that they could not doubt her sincerity. Though she had addressed the whole company, she worked hardest to convince Thorin.

He had listened to her apology with a frown and none of her words had made him soften his expression. But when he saw that all eyes were on him, waiting upon his judgment, he decided to give the foreign warrior the benefit of the doubt. The dwarf lord nodded curtly before walking away. Ainara watched him go with dismay.

But small though this acknowledgment had been, it was enough for the younger dwarves. They had been hoping for Thorin's approval because they were eager to learn more about their companion's unique abilities. Even the older dwarves bore no ill will towards the lady and were likewise won over by their curiosity.

Ainara was relieved that she had reconciled with most of them though she was still concerned about Thorin's reluctant reaction. Balin approached her and laid a hand on her shoulder kindly.

"Give him time," the elderly dwarf advised, "he has endured so much betrayal and he fears it may happen again."

"I understand," Ainara replied gravely, "I know that only too well. And I will show him that I am to be trusted."

"That's the spirit," Balin said encouragingly, "now, I believe the others would like to hear more about your world."

Ainara was happy to oblige them and began sharing more tales about all the kinds of benders. They listened in awe as she described some the techniques she had seen waterbenders and earthbenders display. She even told them about the Avatar. And gradually acclimatize them to her powers, she would give small and careful displays of firebending, much to the delight of Kili and Fili.

They all understood now why she had been so talented at starting camp fires and this gave them some cause for merriment. They also conceded that she had single-handedly saved them from a pac of orcs and wargs and that was no mean feat.

They were now constantly relegating any fire-related task to her and she eagerly complied. The dwarves particularly enjoyed watching flames appear when she snapped her fingers as well as her kicking up flames on the ground. Ainara acquiesced their requests but tried to be as discreet as possible. She knew that without enough control, she could easily cause untold damage to her surroundings.

And though he continued to keep his distance, Thorin could not help but discreetly watch the firebending displays. He would never admit it but he was just as fascinated with the warrior's powers as his nephews were. And he could not deny that there was genuine camaraderie growing between Ainara and the rest of his kin.

But his conversations with her remained cold and distant. Days passed and still he would not say more than a few, short words to her. Frustrated as she was, Ainara reminded herself to be patient. She was getting along so well with the rest of the group that she longed more than ever to finally share the same fellowship with its leader.

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During some hours of calm, when the dwarves were either slumbering or talking wistfully amongst themselves, Bilbo confided in his old friend. Even though Ainara was constantly surprising him, the hobbit believed that she was the only one who understood his misgivings about his presence in the company. And she was always ready to listen and to give much needed words of encouragement.

"It's different for you," the hobbit argued, "you're a warrior. You're well-suited to this kind of adventure. You're brave and strong. You can fight. You can shoot fire out of your hands!"

"We all have something unique to contribute to this mission," Ainara reassured him, discouraging comparisons that would only dishearten her friend further, "that is why we were chosen for this."

"But I still ask myself everyday what I can possibly do to help," Bilbo admitted sadly.

"You're far too modest, my dear Bilbo. Remember that without your quick-thinking, the dwarves would have been devoured by those trolls long before Gandalf and I could save them. And I suspect that is not the last time we will be benefiting from your cleverness and presence of mind."

The hobbit still looked unconvinced. "I know that Gandalf chose me for a reason," he said softly, "but I still don't know what that is. And I don't even know why I decided to join this company at all."

"But you did join the company," Ainara pointed out, "and that's what matters the most. Gandalf may have pushed us both into this but it was always our choice in the end whether we would really take the risk involved. And you were brave enough to do that."

The warrior put her hand on the hobbit's shoulder and he gave her a small, grateful smile.

"Try not to doubt yourself, my dear friend," Ainara told him gently, "but when you do, remember that there are those who have faith in you."

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They soon found themselves struggling through the Misty Mountains. The climb was difficult and the paths were narrow and treacherous. It was all they could do to stick together and avoid falling to their deaths.

One particularly stormy night, they confronted a new danger. What they initially believed to be mere violent shifts in the mountain proved to be a battle between stone giants. The dwarves, hobbit, and firebender clung as best they could to the rock face as the enormous creatures exchanged vicious blows. Bilbo narrowly escaped falling over the edge were it not for Thorin's quick thinking.

But soon the stone giants began to fight with bolts of lightning, causing even more peril to the frightened company. Seeing a deadly lightning bolt heading towards them, Ainara took a deep breath and managed to redirect it towards a vacant rock face. However, she was not particularly skilled at this firebending technique so she barely managed to accomplish it.

And immediately afterwards, she felt almost completely drained of energy. The others had stared at her in awe but then noticed that she had suddenly grown weak. She swayed dangerously towards the edge of the rocks but several pairs of hands, including those of Thorin Oakenshield, pulled her back to safety.

The company took refuge in a nearby cave. They had escaped with their lives and all felt lucky. Ainara recovered some of her strength and thanked the others for helping her get back on her feet.

As the others settled into slumber, there were a few who remained restless. While Bilbo engaged in an emotional conversation with Bofur, Ainara approached Thorin purposefully. The latter turned his back and feigned sleep. But she would not be ignored.

"Thorin," Ainara addressed him clearly, "I know you're still awake."

With a sigh, he turned around and then stood to face the firebender.

"I just wanted to thank you for saving me back there," she told him sincerely. He gave her a shrug, refusing to meet her eyes.

"Was there something else?" he asked gruffly, though he was slightly nervous about this conversation. There was a determined expression on her face. She had never confronted him directly before and he was not sure what to say to her.

She took a deep breath and decided that this was a good opportunity as any to have a proper conversation with him.

"Do you really think that I could ever betray you?" she asked sadly.

He was taken aback by the question but he considered his answer carefully.

"No," he replied honestly.

Stubborn though he was, Thorin Oakenshield could not deny that Ainara had shown him and his companions nothing but loyalty and genuine concern. He could not remain blind to the fact that she had even saved their lives on several occasions. At this point he was not even sure what kept him reluctant to put his full trust in her.

"Then what is it that you fear from me?" she asked gravely.

He feared something from her, that much was true. But it was no longer her power or the possibility of her betrayal. This was something else he could not name but something that was somehow linked to his doubts about Bilbo Baggins.

Seeing that he was mulling things over in confusion, Ainara decided to be frank with him.

"I believe in your cause," she said gently but with conviction, "I wouldn't be here if I didn't. But I need you to believe in me."

Thorin listened but said continued to say nothing. There was still something holding him back.

She could tell that he was considering her words carefully but she wanted to push him for a decision. There was a limit to the cold unresponsiveness she was willing to put up with. And she had grown weary of constantly apologizing and trying to win his favor.

"But if you cannot truly trust me and you do not want me here," Ainara said firmly, "tell me so at once and I will no longer trouble you. I shall not stay where I am not welcome."

Thorin was surprised at her words but he realized that she was being perfectly serious. The warrior's tone had changed to one of wounded pride. Loyal though she was, she was also proud, a trait he understood well. She would not beg for a place in the company. And he could not help but admire her assertiveness.

Ainara waited anxiously for his response but before the dwarf could say a word, the floor of the cave suddenly dissolved and the whole company found themselves falling into the dark and foul domain of the goblins.


	8. Chapter VII

_Leminkaiya_

Disclaimer: I do not own either "The Hobbit" or "Avatar: The Last Airbender" but the wonderful lady firebender in the story is my precious.

NOTE: I struggle with writing action sequences so if you feel a bit bored while reading this, you can rewatch these scenes from the movie and just imagine the battle with firebending at every opportunity. I wrote this chapter by watching the goblin tunnel scenes over and over again.

I kept Bilbo's speech word for word because it was too lovely a moment not to include. And more of Thorin's excellent timing.

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

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Down they fell into that nasty, smelly, filthy darkness. And all around them they heard the vicious noise of the goblins - scratching and screeching, taunting and jeering. The cries of the company echoed across the vast, dirty depths.

As she plunged further into the darkness, Ainara reached out wildly, trying to find something to hold onto. Someone's hand grabbed hers but as she tried to get a firmer grip, she slipped and continued to fall. She did not dare create even a tiny flame for fear of hurting one of her companions. She heard the dwarves frantically calling each other's names during their descent.

"Fili!," Kili called while his brother called his name.

"Ori!" Dori and Nori cried out simultaneously.

"Bilbo!" Ainara found herself echoing Bofur's cry.

And several of the other dwarves, notably Balin and Dwalin cried out for Thorin. But in the confusion, they could not make sense of who was calling whom.

Eventually, they landed in an undignified heap on a rough, metal cage-like structure. Thorin quickly surveyed the damage and was relieved to see that most of of them were all right. They had barely taken everyone into account when they were besieged by a host of grimy goblins.

"Look out!" one of them cried.

Ainara and the dwarves tried to fight them off but there were too many and the firebender did not want to risk hitting one of her friends. In the end, they were all angrily dragged away but not without sending a few goblins to fiery deaths.

They were presented before the Great Goblin, a disgusting monster who grinned at them sinisterly. Ainara saw that they were hopelessly surrounded by hordes of filthy goblins and she could not hide her utter repulsion at the sight. But she knew that even with her bending and the help of her friends, she would not be able to defeat all of them at once.

"Who would be so bold as to come armed into my kingdom?" growled the goblin king, "Spies! Thieves! Assassins!"

"Dwarves, your malevolence," answered one of his minions.

Their weapons were taken from them but they were not completely worried because they knew they had a greater weapon among them. The goblins had not yet realized that the firebender's power came from herself alone. Dressed similarly and not being much taller than Dwalin, Ainara was taken for just another, non-bearded dwarf by the dim-witted goblins.

She remained calm and looked at Thorin. He gave a curt nod signifying that she should wait for his signal before attacking.

"What are you doing in these parts?" demanded the goblin king, "Speak!"

But the company stubbornly said nothing and simply glared at their enemy. The goblin king was not pleased by this. He called for instruments of torture to be brought and he said that they should start with the youngest. Since Ainara was the only one without a beard, the goblins assumed it was her. She clenched her fist and prepared to launch a fire blast when Thorin interrupted.

"Wait!" the dwarf protested.

"Well, well, well, look who it is!" the goblin king said in amusement, "Thorin, son of Thrain, son of Thror, King under the Mountain. Oh, but I'm forgetting, you don't have a mountain and you're not a king… which makes you, nobody really.

The rest of the company glowered at the goblin king as he continued to taunt Thorin and then revealed that Azog the Defiler still lived. Every insult towards their leader made the dwarves grow angrier and even Ainara felt personally offended by the foul creature's words. Her clenched fists were growing warmer and she was itching for a fight but she told herself to wait for the right moment. She had almost sent a fireball to burn the goblin's messenger but she had caught Thorin's eye and he shook his head almost imperceptibly. But she understood.

The Great Goblin began a disturbing song and dance and the other goblins pressed harder against the company. One of them unsheathed Thorin's sword and dropped it on the ground in terror. Even the goblin king recoiled in fear at the sight of it.

"I know that sword!" he cried out, "It is the goblin-cleaver! The blade that sliced a thousand necks!"

The goblins swarmed around them more viciously as their king ordered the deaths of the dwarves, Thorin especially. Several jumped over the dwarf lord but Ainara broke free of her captors by singing their arms. She then got between Thorin and his attackers and managed to burn their faces before they could cut off his head.

The goblins were beginning to realize that this strange, beardless warrior was no dwarf but something else entirely when a blast of white light and energy blew everything away.

"Take up arms," ordered a familiar authoritative voice, "Fight. Fight!

And Thorin's company did as they were told. They reclaimed their weapons while Gandalf was slashing through the stunned goblins and Ainara at last began blasting fire at every ugly creature she could see. Some even fled in terror from this new and inexplicable force.

"Follow me!" Gandalf instructed, "Run!"

Then, they ran, hitting, stabbing, burning through the masses of goblin filth, trying to find a way out of that horrible place. The made their way on narrow, wooden pathways. Gandalf and Thorin led the charge while Ainara stayed at the rear so that she could block their paths with fire, preventing pursuit from the goblins. She would enlarge the flames of the torches and then occasionally, she sent fireballs at the goblins who climbed the surrounding walls, causing small explosions and sowing more fear into the weaker among the creatures.

But their path was suddenly blocked by the Great Goblin himself. Gandalf made short work of him but the wooden planks they were all standing on gave way and they held on as best as they could as they fell deeper into the dark caverns.

They hit the ground at last, groaning from the impact, dust and pieces of wood covering their tired bodies. As they struggled to get back on their feet, Kili called their attention to the remaining goblin hordes who were fast approaching.

"You can't be serious!" Ainara cried with dismay.

"There's too many!" Dwalin shouted, "We can't fight them all."

"Only one thing will save us, daylight," Gandalf declared, "On your feet!"

Gathering what energy they had left for one final push, the company followed the wizard through the narrow rocky paths until they finally escaped the goblin realm. Dawn was breaking as they made their way into the nearby wooded hills but they did not stop until they had put some distance between them and that foul place.

As they paused to catch their breath and Gandalf began counting them and checking for anyone missing.

"Fili, Kili, Bombur, and Ainara that makes fourteen," the wizard enumerated, "But where is Bilbo? Where is our hobbit? Where is our hobbit?"

At the mention of Bilbo's name, they all turned around frantically. But there was no sign of him. The dwarves started to argue about who last saw him while Gandalf tried to ascertain what had happened.

"I'll tell you what happened," Thorin declared pessimistically, "Master Baggins saw his chance and he took it. He has thought of nothing but his soft bed and his warm hearth since first he stepped out of his door. We will not be seeing our hobbit again. He is long gone."

The other dwarves looked down in dismay at this but Ainara did not agree. That was not the Bilbo she knew. She was just about to say a word in Bilbo's defense when the latter appeared seemingly out of nowhere.

"No, he isn't," Bilbo announced, to everyone's delight and Thorin's surprise.

"Bilbo Baggins," Gandalf greeted warmly, "I've never been so glad to see anyone in my life!"

Ainara was so overjoyed to see her friend that she threw her arms around him in an affectionate embrace. The dwarves were all smiles and inquired as to how the hobbit had gotten past the goblins. Bilbo responded with an awkward laugh but everyone was too relieved to press him for details.

"What does it matter?" Gandalf remarked though he had his suspicions, "He's back."

"It matters," Thorin insisted solemnly, "I want to know. Why did you come back?"

"I know you doubt me," the hobbit began earnestly, "I know you always have. And you're right, I often think of Bag End. I miss my books and my armchair and my garden. See, that's where I belong, that's home. That's why I came back because you don't have one, a home. It was taken from you. But I will help you take it back if I can."

No one said a word, so moved were they by the hobbit's sincerity. Thorin simply stared at Bilbo incredulously, dwelling on every word he had said. Ainara blinked back tears. Never had she been prouder of her friend. She had always thought well of him and he had exceeded even her expectations. She was glad that the dwarves were finally seeing the best of him.

The beautiful moment was interrupted by the roaring of wargs not far from where they stood. They looked at each other in alarm and Ainara rolled her eyes in exasperation.

"Out of the frying pan," Thorin muttered gravely.

"And into the fire!" Gandalf continued wearily.

Ainara looked at him curiously but the wizard shrugged. "It's a common expression," he explained quickly as he roused the others to continue their flight despite their exhaustion.

"Run! Run!"

As they made their way down the hill, Ainara noticed that even in motion, Thorin looked pensive. He turned to her suddenly but there was no suspicion in his eyes.

"And what about you?" Thorin asked the firebender, this time with genuine curiosity, "You were taken from your home. Why are you fighting for ours?"

The warrior could not help but laugh at the dwarf's terrible timing, causing the others to stare at her nervously. But Thorin realized the ridiculousness of the situation and even managed a small smile.

"I'm so sorry and I promise I will answer your question very soon," the warrior told him reassuringly, "but now isn't exactly the best moment for this conversation."


	9. Chapter VIII

_Leminkaiya_

Disclaimer: I do not own either "The Hobbit" or "Avatar: The Last Airbender" but the wonderful lady firebender in the story is my precious.

NOTE: This was emotionally draining to write but hopefully all the emotions are earned. Again, I decided to keep Bilbo's moment because it was lovely and I don't' feel that it takes any impact away from the other moment. This whole chapter is a big turning point for the characters and it's good to finally have their internal issues resolved.

Hopefully the action scene in the first half is as exciting as I imagined it to be. I always thought it would be amazing and convenient to have a firebender during this part of the story. And it was a good opportunity for some interesting character interactions.

Enjoy.

**CHAPTER EIGHT**

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"Up into the trees, all of you!" Gandalf told the dwarves as they reached a cliff.

They followed him immediately and swarmed up the tall, sturdy trunks, climbing as fast as they could. The sound of the wargs grew louder and clearer. There was no escape. As the dwarves hoisted each other up and grabbed the nearest branches, the firebender stood her ground and turned to face the enemies.

"What are you doing?" Bilbo cried out to his friend.

"I shall keep them occupied," Ainara said with grim determination. She blasted fire into the first few wargs who had reached them. Then, with a practiced motion of her feet, she created a temporary barrier of fires that would ward off the wargs when they arrived. She was careful to keep the flames from touching any of the trees the dwarves were clinging to.

"These beasts hate fire," the warrior declared, "then I'm their worst nightmare."

She got into a fighting stance, raising her arms, ready to aim a fire blast at the first strike of the enemy. Her golden eyes seemed to shine with the reflection of the flames she had created. Though she stood alone, she had never looked deadlier.

Ainara knew that she might not be able to fight all the creatures that were on their way but she was certain that Gandalf had a plan for their escape. She would simply help them buy some time. True enough, as the dwarves stared at her in awe, the wizard was busy instructing a small, winged messenger.

As expected, when the rest of the vicious wargs arrived, they were repelled by the burning barrier Ainara had set. They bared their teeth and growled but they did not dare approach their prey. The warrior took this opportunity to take down as many beasts as she could, aiming for their eyes first and then sending bigger fire blasts to their heads until they fell twitching to the ground.

Azog arrived, furious at the carnage his minions had been subjected to. One of the orcs who accompanied him recognized Ainara's work.

"It is the fire demon we told you of," the orc muttered to Azog in their language. The pale orc frowned.

"That one is mine!" he declared, pointing his weapon at Thorin, "Kill the others, and start with the fire demon!"

But none of the wargs would approach her, not only because of the fire barrier but also because they had seen what had become of their kin at her hands. And her instincts were sharp. Whenever a brave warg approached one of the trees, she would immediately set its face on fire and it would stumble to the ground, pawing at its eyes in agony.

Bilbo and the dwarves watched, mesmerized in fear and wonder. They snapped out of their trance when they noticed a flaming pinecone being launched from the top of the trees. Gandalf started passing these small but effective weapons to the rest of the dwarves who relished the opportunity of helping their firebending friend. Ainara watched with a grin as even more wargs were struck down by fiery projectiles.

The shame of being defeated by this powerful stranger was too much for Azog. Where had Thorin Oakenshield found such a deadly ally?

"Take her down!" the enraged orc roared as he motioned to his orc archers.

Ainara had turned to her opponent the moment she heard him speak and though she did not understand the words, she could see his intention clearly. She waved her arm and created a temporary fire shield as she searched the ground for a solid one. She found a suitable piece of a fallen tree and she held it up with a protruding branch.

Once the smoke cleared and the archers had loosed their arrows, the firebender was ready for them. She raised her wooden shield and caught the the arrows with ease, memories of her training and experience with the Yu Yan archers coming in handy. But there were still a few daring wargs trying to attack her and the dwarves while the orcs loosed arrow after arrow in her direction.

The battle was beginning to overwhelm even a talented firebending master and Azog knew that even the hardiest warriors would eventually be worn out. As Ainara launched a fireball at an approaching warg, her wooden shield raised catching an arrow at the same time, she heard the sound of another arrow being loosed. She turned but she knew that she was a moment too late and that was all it would take to bring her down. To her complete surprise, the arrow never reached her. Ainara heard it strike a wooden shield but it was not hers.

"You didn't think I would let you keep fighting alone, did you?" asked a deep voice beside her.

"The thought never crossed my mind," the firebender replied with a grin, raising her shield and blocking another deadly arrow, "It's good to see you."

There was no more time for pleasantries as they both turned to face an even more frustrated Azog charging towards them. The two warriors nodded to each other and silently coordinated their movements. Ainara attacked Azog's warg mount with a large blast o fire to the beast's face while Thorin parried a strike from the orc himself. The large warg reared up pawing at the fire in his face and the pale orc was forced to dismount and face Thorin on his own.

The two leaders continued their duel fiercely while the firebender dealt with the white warg which was still dangerous despite its injury. The few remaining orcs now tried to bring her and Thorin down but they were ambushed by the rest of the dwarves. Even Bilbo was emboldened enough to raise his shining sword against one of the orcs. At one point, he even pushed Thorin away from a deadly blow. The hobbit had been trembling with fear but still acted instinctively when one of them was threatened. This did not go unnoticed. The battle continued but the company did not falter.

Soon, the sound of enormous wings flapping was heard. The dwarves watched in awe as their enemies were snatched by large, sharp claws and tossed over the cliff.

"What are those?" Ainara asked in wonder as more of the giant birds arrived to fight with them.

"Reinforcements!" Gandalf shouted by way of explanation.

The eagles had given the company a great advantage so Azog and his remaining troops began to reluctantly retreat. Before the dwarves could rejoice at their victory, they felt themselves being snatched up by massive claws and soaring into the night sky. Some of them were dropped onto the backs of the eagles as they took flight away from the forest.

The hours of incessant fighting finally took its toll on Ainara but seeing that they were finally out of danger, she closed her eyes and allowed herself to be carried away by one of the majestic creatures.

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The firebender had only vague memories of that amazing flight because her exhaustion had kept her unconscious for the most of it. She only awoke when she felt herself being gently laid down on solid ground again and heard Bilbo and some of the dwarves fussing over her. She blinked her gold eyes and smiled weakly at them.

"I'm so glad you're all right," Bilbo cried, eagerly helping her to her feet.

"You gave us a scare for a moment there," Oin said, while the other dwarves nodded in agreement.

"I'm sorry to have worried you all," the firebender replied modestly, "I was just a little tired."

She was confused and slightly surprised to see Thorin's among the relieved faces looking back at her. He turned and briefly walked away from the group, deep in thought. Gandalf watched the dwarf lord carefully and knew that he was coming to an important decision. The rest of the company waited in silence for him to speak.

"Where's Bilbo?" Thorin asked finally.

"He is here," Gandalf replied, giving the nervous hobbit an encouraging push forward.

Bilbo waited awkwardly as Thorin approached him and gave him a long, serious look.

"You," the dwarf said gruffly, "What were you doing? You nearly got yourself killed. Did I not say that you would be a burden? That you would not survive in the wild, that you had no place amongst us?"

The poor hobbit looked downcast but Thorin was not yet finished.

"I have never been so wrong in all my life,"he said emotionally, pulling the astounded hobbit into a warm hug.

The dwarves cheered at this and Ainara could not help but wipe away some tears. She had always been so proud of her friend and she was happy that he was finally being shown the trust and acceptance he deserved. She had been so absorbed in her joy for Bilbo that she almost didn't notice that Thorin had turned to face her.

"There was someone else I was very mistaken about," he began earnestly, as he approached the stunned warrior. The other dwarves stood aside, making way for him while Ainara remained inexplicably rooted to the spot.

It was the first time since she had revealed her firebending that he was looking at her without suspicion or anger and she was not sure how to take it. This was the moment she had been so hoping for and yet now that it was here she felt suddenly shy and embarrassed.

"From the very beginning you fought bravely and selflessly even when you were repaid with doubt and suspicion," Thorin continued seriously, "We all owe you our lives. And more than that, I owe you my trust."

Ainara shook her head humbly and found that she was too embarrassed to face him. This had exceeded all her expectations. A simple acknowledgment would have been enough so hearing such heartfelt praise was quite overwhelming.

"I am honored to have you by our side," he said with conviction and pride.

There was another cheer from the dwarves, with Bilbo joining in enthusiastically and Gandalf looking on with pride. Ainara nodded with tearful gratitude as Thorin put a hand on her shoulder before pulling her into his second warm hug for the day. She was so shocked by the gesture that for a few moments she was unable to return it. But she recovered and soon managed to hug back.

"Thank you," the firebender said earnestly, first to Thorin, then to the rest of the group, "all of you. You do not know how much this means to me."

Having resolved their internal conflicts, all of them felt like a heavy weight had been lifted from their shoulders. Despite their physical exhaustion, they all felt lighter and stronger, ready to face whatever lay ahead.

Dawn had broken around them and they finally had a chance to admire the view. All turned to face a solitary peak that seemed to shine in the horizon. The sight filled the dwarves with deep emotion and even Ainara and Bilbo could not help but be moved.

"Erebor," Gandalf said reverently, "the Lonely Mountain, the last of great dwarf kingdoms of Middle Earth."

"Our home," Thorin whispered, his voice filled with hope.


	10. Chapter IX

_Leminkaiya_

Disclaimer: I do not own either "The Hobbit" or "Avatar: The Last Airbender" but the wonderful lady firebender in the story is my precious.

NOTE: We've reached the second movie at last! And now things will be moving much, much faster. There's still a lot of ground to cover so I'm going to pick up the pace. I decided to breeze through Beorn's part because nothing significant would be different in this story so there's no need to dwell on it.

I found that wandering around Mirkwood provided a good opportunity to explore some of Ainara's past so you will see that here (with a special cameo from one of my favorite AtLA characters). The rest of the events pretty much follow what happened in the film.

Enjoy.

**CHAPTER NINE**

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Freed from some of their burdens, the company was able to advance with greater speed. They were still a long way from Erebor and Durin's Day would soon be upon them.

But even on the road there were still some opportunities for the company to share stories by the campfire. Now that there was less tension among them, the nights passed considerably more pleasantly. Ainara and Bilbo were more at ease with the dwarves and now even Thorin asked the firebender to talk about her country's culture and history. He had always had a genuine interest in her story but his suspicion had prevented him from expressing it and now they both enjoyed sharing tales of ancient kingdoms, great kings, and brave warriors.

She also told them about her experiences with dragons and this time, a subject which they were most eager to hear about.

"Because of our powers, my people have always had a strong connection to dragons," she recounted, "and during my time, there still were some of these creatures roaming our lands."

"Did they destroy everything too?" Ori asked anxiously.

Ainara shook her head. "The dragons in my world never attacked anyone without provocation," she explained, "in fact, we were the ones who forced them to fight back."

Such a different account of dragons made the dwarves mutter amongst themselves. Their experience had given them a natural prejudice against these beasts so it was difficult for them to believe dragons capable of anything but cruelty. Bilbo, for his part, had always loved tales about dragons and he listened to his friend with growing fascination.

"One of leaders, Fire Lord Sozin, began the tradition of hunting dragons as the ultimate sport," Ainara continued, "It was believed that anyone who managed to slay a dragon would earn the title "Dragon" and would acquire legendary firebending powers. Many had been seduced by this prospect, myself included. And so it was that the few dragons that remained in the world were relentlessly slain by ambitious firebenders."

The memories of her days of rage and recklessness suddenly appeared before her. She had been young and eager for glory and greatness, like so many of her generation. They were proud of being part of a legacy of conquest and control and they had all sought to prove themselves the strongest. She had always dreamed of slaying a dragon and earning that revered title.

But she had never succeeded in slaying one by herself. She had always travelled with several other firebenders. They would compete with each other to see who was the strongest. When they found a dragon, each one would try to fight it on his or her own. But in the end, it would always take a joint effort for them to defeat the beast and survive its wrath. And they barely escaped alive each time.

It was only after slaying three of the ancient creatures that Ainara and her friends realized the danger, futility, and cruelty of their sport. They saw that dragons did them no harm and only fought back when provoked. There was no real glory in murdering innocent beings. So they vowed that they would never again participate in dragon slaying. But by then, dragons had become so rare and were soon believed to be almost extinct. And it always pained Ainara to remember that they had nearly wiped out a whole race of powerful beings because of their greed and ambition.

"Becoming a dragonslayer is one of the things I regret the most and I never thought I would ever face a dragon again," Ainara concluded gravely, "but when Gandalf mentioned one, I could not help but be interested. Although now of course, this is more than just for personal glory. If I can help you all slay the dragon and reclaim your homeland, that will be the greatest honor. And perhaps a way to make amends for my past mistakes."

"And you needn't feel guilty about fighting this one," Bofur reassured her, "he is a real menace and has caused so much pain and suffering."

"Do not hesitate with this one," Dwalin added, "he will not show you mercy so you must treat him the same way."

"Old Smaug will not be expecting you, that's for certain," Nori remarked with a smile.

"And we've seen how you powerful you can be even when you hold yourself back," Fili said excitedly.

"You can be frightening when you're angry," Bilbo added timidly. Ainara grinned at him.

"Oh, you haven't seen me truly angry," she told them mischievously, "not nearly as angry as I can be."

There was a dangerous glow in her golden eyes that intimidated them all and they were simply relieved that she was on their side. This brief display of ferocity also gave them hope that the dragon would finally be defeated.

"Then it seems that beast has met his match," Thorin declared proudly, "and we are looking forward to seeing you triumph."

The firebender suddenly felt self-conscious, looking all their expectant faces. She did not want to make any promises she could not honor.

"I will try my best," she said humbly, but even this was met with a cheer from the rest of the company.

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As a way of further integrating Bilbo and Ainara into the company and dwarfish culture in general, Ori suggested that they braid the hair of their two companions. Bilbo protested awkwardly but eventually relented though there was not much the dwarves were able to do with his short, curly hair no matter how much they tried.

Ainara, who had long, straight black hair, agreed immediately. She watched with amusement as Dori and Nori argued with Bifur and Bofur over which traditional styles they would use. They had been so busy bickering that they failed to notice that Kili and Fili had already finished the job. As Ainara proudly showed off her newly braided hair, the rest of the company looked approvingly.

"It's a pity you don't have a beard," Bombur said with a sigh. Ainara smiled at him apologetically while the other dwarves roared with laughter and Gandalf looked on in amusement.

All of this was familiar to the firebender. During her years in the Fire Nation army, she had formed a close bond with her fellow soldiers. They had endured so much together from their training to specific missions. They had traveled around the world together and faced many an enemy. They protected each other until the very end.

But as much as being in the company reminded her of those happy years, she was also acutely aware of how easily everything could fall apart. They were not in a state of war but the journey they were taken was fraught with more than enough danger. Added to the enemies who were relentlessly chasing them was still the looming threat of the dragon. Growing attached to her new friends was a great risk and yet she could not help it. She had missed this and she was determined to do everything in her power to proven history from being repeated.

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While fleeing from their enemies, the company spent a short time in the home of the fearsome shapeshifter Beorn. Their host had been very hospitable to them despite his mistrust of strangers and had even provided them ponies to ride until they reached the edge of Mirkwood.

"This forest feels sick," Bilbo observed what they all thought as they stood at the Elven gate, "as if a disease lies upon it."

Before entering the forest, Gandalf warned them all to stay on the path and gave them strict instructions about reaching Erebor. They were dismayed that the wizard was leaving them but he assured them that he would not have done so had it not been for something of greater importance.

"Dark forces are at work in these woods," the wizard told the firebender ominously, "I would advise you to keep your firebending to a minimum. You would not want to disturb the dangerous, ancient beings that reside there. Be very careful."

"I understand," the firebender replied gravely.

"This is not the greenwood of old," the wizard warned them all, "the very air of the forest is heavy with illusion. It will seek to enter your mind and lead you astray. You must never leave the path. Or you will never find it again."

Warily the company entered the treacherous woods. It was unlike any forest they had ever passed through. Hardly any light pierced through the thick, tangled branches and shadows seemed to move around them. Eerie sounds filled the stuffy air and after every step they found it more and more difficult to breathe. They walked on, as if in a daze. Every now and then they had to shake their heads because they began to see peculiar visions.

In particularly dark patches of the forest, Ainara tried to illuminate the path with a flame in her hand but she found that the forest itself affected her firebending. She was barely able to maintain a steady flame though it usually was the easiest thing to do. The flame in her hand flickered and she felt herself grow weak and light-headed. She remembered Gandalf's warning and decided to avoid firebending as much as she could.

And though they had tried their best to follow Gandalf's instructions, they eventually lost the path. In their struggle to find it again, they began to fall more and more under the forest's evil spell.

Something had gone very wrong in those woods and it was interfering the normal flow of energy not just for her but for the others as well. The dwarves moved sluggishly and began babbling. Bilbo blinked and struggled to keep awake though he felt drowsier and drowsier as they moved on.

"Is there no end to this accursed forest?" Thorin cried, his voice echoing across the trees.

"We're lost!" Dwalin exclaimed, "And we've lost the sun."

The dwarves began bickering amongst themselves, trying to figure out what direction to take. Unbeknownst to them, Bilbo had began climbing one of the trees to try, seeking the sun.

Meanwhile, Ainara felt her mind drifting far away and soon she no longer saw the forest around her. Instead, she seemed to have returned to familiar surroundings from a long time ago.

She was in her family garden and she could hear giggling from behind one of the ancient trees. A young girl was hiding behind it and she recognized herself during one of the many times she snuck away from her uncle's boring lectures on Fire Nation military history. Being young and stubborn, she had not yet realized the importance of these tedious lessons and preferred to go off on her own to practice her bending.

The scene changed and it was an older, more confident Ainara dealing the final blows to her opponent. Skillfully, she launched flames from her feet as they circled the ground and each attack was so well calculated that her adversary fell to his feet and surrendered reluctantly. It was the first Agni Kai she had ever won and it had been against an arrogant young soldier who had insulted her family's honor. Her victory not only humbled him but also made him grow to truly respect her. He never said an unkind word towards her family or to anyone else again.

This dissolved into another memory. She was in full armor, having been awarded a medal for her valor on the field. But she was not smiling. Instead, she stood straight and still before a grey joint headstone, staring silently at the names of her parents. Someone placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"I know they would have been very proud of you," General Iroh told her reassuringly.

She had simply nodded and continued to stare at the headstone.

But this faded too and a memory she had long tried to keep buried now resurfaced and she had no choice but to relive its horrors.

A battlefield strewn with corpses. She had stood at such a place before but never one like this. Usually there were casualties from different sides. After all, a war was theoretically between two opposing forces. But this time was different.

All around her were not just her countrymen but her comrades, her brothers in arms. They had trained together, traveled together, fought together, mourned together. And now, they were gone, slain by their own people, even their own kin, men who were loyal to the Fire Lord.

He had sensed their disapproval of his principles and strategies so he had sent a company of his most merciless soldiers to slaughter them all. No one could oppose the Fire Lord in his own nation and live to tell the tale.

The smell of smoke and blood and death was suffocating but somehow she was still breathing. She had suffered many injuries, physical and otherwise and now, all she could do was wait for her life to come to an end. What else was there to live for?

But then, she felt someone carry her gently away from this nightmare. She was too weak to understand what was happening. And when she awoke, days later, she was in a strange, new world.

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Ainara's eyes blinked open as she felt her body hit the ground with a thud.

Something was blocking her view, something white and viscous. As she slowly regained consciousness, she realized that her whole body was wrapped in this pale, sticky, foul-smelling substance.

"Ugh," she cried in disgust as she wriggled and tried to move the rest of her body.

She felt frantic movement around her and her the voices of the dwarves. She tore out of the white wrapping impatiently and even burning it with her bending. It was such a relief to be wide awake again. She joined the others as they broke free but she soon saw the creatures that had trapped them in those cocoons - giant spiders.

Luckily, her fighter's instincts took over and she instantly launched fireball after fireball at the vile creatures. The spiders recoiled in horror but continued to attack the company. The dwarves slashed and stabbed at the monsters and Ainara did all she could to help. Some of her strength had returned and she was able to send many spiders to their deaths. But despite their combined effort, more of the creatures kept coming fast and they knew that they would soon be outnumbered.

As she blasted fire at another spider's face, Ainara noticed that other beings were arriving and even with the limited light of the forest, she recognized elves descending from the tops of the trees.

"Reinforcements!" she thought with joy and relief. Remembering the friendship showed by Lord Elrond and his household, she had no reason to treat them as enemies.

But quite soon she realized that these elves were very different from those she met in Rivendell. No sooner had the elves slain the spiders, their arrows and blades were aimed at the dwarves.

"Fight them off!" Dwalin had shouted, "They are our enemies!"

But Ainara reacted too late and though she had surprised several of the elves with blasts of fire, they had evaded her attacks skillfully and now had several arrows and blades aimed at her throat.

The leader shouted orders to his men and all the dwarves were marched roughly away from the forest and into the realm of the woodland elves.

Ainara had been initially reluctant to fight them since they had just saved her and the dwarves from the spiders but seeing the hostile look on their fair faces, she decided that they were not to be trusted. Foul and hideous creatures were easy to fight but these new adversaries were all the more dangerous since they were beautiful.


	11. Chapter X

_Leminkaiya_

Disclaimer: I do not own either "The Hobbit" or "Avatar: The Last Airbender" but the wonderful lady firebender in the story is my precious.

NOTE: Much happens in this chapter and I hope the pace isn't too weird. It was interesting to explore the wood elves' reaction to Ainara and vice versa and to see how much she has been integrated into dwarf culture. An interesting chapter for me to write and hopefully for you to read as well. Let me know.

Enjoy.

**CHAPTER TEN**

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The halls of the elven king were vast and splendid. Ainara had not imagined that such a wondrous place could exist in the dark and diseased forest. No doubt the power of the elves shielded their realm from any evil that lurked in the woods.

This was the second elven dwelling she had set foot in and though she admired its magnificence, she could not help but compare the treatment they received here with that in Rivendell. There they had been welcomed as honored guests and here they were treated like filthy prisoners. The firebender was beginning to understand that despite similarities in appearance, there was a rich diversity among the elves. There was still so much she did not know about this new world.

It also dawned upon her that this was the treatment Thorin and his company usually expected from elves and it very much accounted for their dislike of that race as well as their surprise at the kindness shown to them by Elrond at Rivendell. She had never fully understood the bitterness that existed between dwarves and elves but now she saw that the hostility could be mutual and it saddened her. One of the things that she had regretted most about the Fire Lord's war was that it caused such great rifts among all the nations when they had co-existed in harmony for thousands of years. Personally, she had had nothing against the Water Tribes, the Earth Nation or the Air Nomads because she had always been fascinated by other cultures. But the damage caused by a history of war always lasted for far too long.

While the rest of the dwarves were tossed into prison cells, Thorin was brought before the king. Ainara was dragged not far behind him. Her hands and feet were in chains and she was more heavily guarded. The elves had seen what she was capable of in the forest so they needed to make sure she would not wreak havoc in their home. She understood their caution and fear but she still resented being bound so soon after escaping the trap of the spiders.

But she would not act rashly. Even with her powers, she was outnumbered by her enemy and she did not want to risk endangering the others. She would wait for an opportune moment to strike.

Besides, she was curious about what the elves wanted from them. Part of her still held out hope that they were not as harsh as they seemed.

"Even if they do not help us," she mused, "they should at least let us go. I do not think we have committed any crime against them."

So she waited patiently for her turn to face the leader of this enchanted realm. She was not sure why she was being summoned in particular though she attributed it to her unique abilities. Being held some distance from the throne room, she did not hear the angry words being exchanged by the two kings but she could see well enough that Thorin seemed to be like a criminal on trial.

"This does not bode well for us," she thought gravely.

Meanwhile, Thranduil continued his interrogation of his dwarf prisoner.

"And you seem to have acquired a unique weapon to take along for this quest," the elf remarked suspiciously, "A most intriguing discovery. Where did you find her?"

Thorin's frown deepened at this reference to Ainara.

"She is her own person," the dwarf replied proudly, "and she can speak for herself."

Suddenly, the elf king motioned to the guards who watched the firebender. They brought her forward and made her stand beside Thorin who glanced at her somberly.

For the first few moments, Ainara could not help but gaze in awe at the radiance and beauty of the elven king. Had she never met Galadriel, she would have believed that Thranduil was the most resplendent of the elves. But despite his magnificence, his eyes were cold and hard. It was clear that he was no ally of the company.

Thranduil looked carefully at this new prisoner. She was no dwarf but though she resembled one from the race of men, she was more than that. His men had told him of the power she displayed against the spiders and he was eager to learn more about her.

"So you are the one who wields fire from your bare hands," Thranduil declared with interest as he walked towards the warrior, "is that true?"

Carefully and aware of the guards surrounding her, Ainara raised her chained hands and opened one palm, creating a very small flame for a few moments before extinguishing it. She did not want to provoke any fights just yet, not until she had a better idea of what was going on.

"Fascinating," the elven king remarked in awe, "I confess I have never met anyone of your kind before and I have lived for a very long time and seen many strange things."

Despite Thorin's glare, Ainara bowed her head slightly because she was accustomed to showing respect to royalty no matter what the circumstances.

"My name is Ainara," she said simply, "and where I come from we are called firebenders and our abilities are far from strange."

"Indeed?" Thranduil replied, an eyebrow raised, "And where is this mysterious land?"

"Oh, a world away," the firebender answered coolly, not wishing to reveal anything else.

"And how came you to the company of these dwarves?"

"A chance meeting. They were in need of someone who could face dragons and I happened to be available.

She noticed that the elven king had winced ever so slightly at the mention of dragons. But the moment passed and he remained as calm and regal as ever.

"But even with your abilities, how can you hope to vanquish a creature that so many before you have failed to slay?" Thranduil asked skeptically.

"There's a first time for everything," the firebender answered unflinchingly, "after all, I am fairly the dragon has not faced anyone of my kind before."

Thranduil frowned and Thorin smirked discreetly, trying to hide how proud he felt at seeing the elven king displeased.

"Then, you are a fool," remonstrated Thranduil, "Why continue on this ill-fated quest? Why waste your powers for a doomed cause?"

"That is my business," Ainara replied obstinately.

She had wanted to add that she did not need to explain herself to anyone so wholly unconnected to her but she decided against it. Despite everything, she did not want to be too rude.

Thranduil narrowed his eyes at the warrior and shook his head solemnly.

"You have spent too much time among dwarves," he commented, "What a pity. Your powers could have had greater use if you had chosen better and wiser companions."

Thorin and Ainara glared at him.

"My choices are my own," the firebender declared angrily, "you cannot buy me. I have sworn my loyalty to Thorin Oakenshield and I will honor that promise until my dying breath."

"Your loyalty is admirable," Thranduil remarked coldly,"but you have made a very foolish decision."

"I do not think so," the firebender said curtly.

"Then, you can rot in the cells with the rest of them," the elven king proclaimed fiercely. He motioned to the guards and Thorin and Ainara were promptly taken away.

"And put that one in the coldest and darkest of our cells," Thranduil whispered to one of the guards, gesturing towards Ainara, "we must prevent her from using her powers to help her friends."

As they were being brought to the dungeons, Ainara considered the possibility of attacking her captors and freeing Thorin. But they were surrounded by too many guards and her movements were restricted by her chains.

"I'm sorry," she whispered to Thorin as they were escorted to the prison, "I'll figure something out."

He managed to nod back before he was roughly thrown into a cell. She could see that the surrounding cells were occupied by the rest of the dwarves and she tried to see which one held Bilbo but she found herself being dragged away.

"Wait, why can't I stay with the rest of my company?" she protested but the guards said nothing. She heard the other dwarves begin to object as well.

She began to struggle and was just about to burn someone's hand off when another elf arrived.

"What is the meaning of this?" a tall, red-haired elf asked the guards authoritatively.

They replied to her in their own tongue and she threw a glance at Ainara before arguing with the other guards. This elf seemed to be in a position of authority so the other guards listened and reluctantly turned over the prisoner to her.

"What was that about?" Ainara asked suspiciously.

"They wanted to put you in one of the worst cells we have," the elf explained, "the ones reserved only for the foulest of creatures. I did not agree with them. You should remain with the rest of your company."

Ainara was gently escorted to one of the regular cells, not far from where Ori and Dori were held. She entered without fuss but continued to look at the red-haired elf.

"Why are you being so kind?" the firebender was still skeptical.

"I'm sorry for the treatment you received," the elf replied congenially, "but we aren't barbarians and I'd like you to know that."

"Hmmm," Ainara said, "you're the first reasonable elf I've spoken to so far."

"Thank you," the elf replied with a smile, "my name is Tauriel, by the way."

"Ainara," the firebender answered politely.

Tauriel had heard of what this strange warrior was capable of but more than being afraid, she was fascinated. And there were so many questions she wanted to ask her but she had some duties to fulfill first and she had already spent quite some time listening to stories from the young, dark-haired dwarf.

"Please try not to cause too much trouble," the elf said congenially as she made her leave.

"No promises," Ainara answered with a friendly shrug.

She found a comfortable position to sit and lean against the stone wall of her cell. There was so much to think about and she knew that she would finally have the time to reflect.

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"Wake up! Wake up!"

Ainara registered a voice whispering to her urgently but she was not sure. She had fallen into a deep sleep and was struggling to regain consciousness. As she tried to open her eyes, she could hear more voices speaking in hushed tones around her.

"What's the matter with her?"

"How could she have fallen asleep at a time like this?"

"She didn't!" the familiar voice of the hobbit was explaining, "But I saw one of the guards slip a sort of sleeping potion into her cell and she had inhaled the fumes without being aware of it. They were trying to prevent her from using her firebending and keeping her unconscious was the simplest way."

"These blasted elves! Is there no end to their villainy?" muttered Dwalin

"Don't overreact," Bilbo scolded, "they didn't harm her and they just wanted to protect themselves from her. You know how dangerous she can be and I understand their caution."

"Oh, so you're defending them now?"

"That's enough! Let's just focus on getting ourselves out of here."

Ainara felt herself being carried by two of the dwarves as the rest followed Bilbo down into the cellar.

"Wha-what's going on?" she muttered feebly, finally opening her eyes. Things were finally coming back into focus.

"Welcome back, lass," Balin told her gently, "we were all worried about you for a moment there."

"Sorry about that," Ainara said with a smile, "I think I can stand on my own now."

She heard the rest of the dwarves express their relief at seeing her come to. Bilbo was overjoyed. But there wasn't a moment to waste. The reached the cellar and the hobbit quickly ushered them towards a certain area.

"Now everyone," Bilbo instructed authoritatively, "into the barrels."

"What?" was the collective protest. The hobbit sighed, having expected such a reaction.

"Trust me," he said firmly, "get into the barrels. Quickly!"


	12. Chapter XI

_Leminkaiya_

Disclaimer: I do not own either "The Hobbit" or "Avatar: The Last Airbender" but the wonderful lady firebender in the story is my precious.

NOTE:

For this I've decided to fast forward through most of the introduction to Bard and the weird, complicated infiltration of Laketown because for the purposes of this story, at least, not much has changed. It's unnecessary to have to go through all that detail and I am eager for them to reach the mountain already.

There is still a lot to go through before the journey ends. Enjoy.

**CHAPTER ELEVEN**

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If there was anything Ainara had learned from this adventure so far, it was that there was no such thing as too much excitement.

The firebender had always had a vivid imagination but she had never ever dreamed that she would be trapped in a wooden barrel riding the rapids of a wild river. While being pursued by a band of orcs.

"All this and I haven't even seen the dragon yet!" she thought as one hand clung to the barrel for dear life and the other was launching fire blasts at the attacking orcs.

The escape had not been as smooth as they had hoped. At first, the elves had closed the gates and kept them from floating away. But when the first wave of orcs arrived, Kili had managed to reopen the gates, but at great cost. The other elves arrived and surprisingly came to the dwarves' aid, slaying the orcs who had dared cross their borders. Ainara briefly noticed Tauriel's arrival before she felt herself being carried away by the current.

The water was rough and treacherous and they were surrounded by enemies on all sides. The dwarves managed to find weapons to defend themselves and Ainara had regained enough energy to use her bending. She was able to prevent some of the orcs on shore from shooting at them because they would be burned before they could aim their arrows.

Fireball after fireball was launched at the surrounding woods, causing some orcs to fall into the river and drown. The dwarves shouted war cries as they cut down the creatures who managed to jump onto the barrels. Bilbo clung helplessly to Nori's barrel and the dwarf tried his best to protect the hobbit from the orcs. And all this while the force of the river tossed and turned them like debris.

Sustaining her element was becoming a greater challenge as time passed since Ainara was being regularly submerged in freezing cold water. And even some of the orcs she had injured managed to minimize the damage by jumping straight into the water and extinguishing the fires she caused. Soon there was more smoke than fire around her. At one point, she decided that she might be more effective with a physical weapon.

"Someone toss me a sword!" she shouted to her companions and immediately a blade was flying through the air. She caught it expertly and just in time to cut down an orc that had leapt towards her. She decided to improvise a little bit and heated the metal blade so that she could still burn everything she stabbed.

"Oh, to be a waterbender right now!" she thought in frustration. She could already imagine how easy it would be with the river as a fearsome weapon. But now was not the time to dwell on alternative bending situations.

As they made their way down the river, the firebender noticed that a couple of the elves had followed them and were being extremely helpful in terms of orc-slaying.

"The enemy of my enemy, I suppose," she mused, just glad that they had some kind of reinforcements on the ground.

She recognized Tauriel who gracefully switched from firing arrows to slashing with her dagger. The firebender smiled. She knew there was a reason she had like that elf.

There was another one with her, a tall, pale-haired elf who was just as impressive a warrior. He moved gracefully and skillfully and at one point managed to shoot arrows at orcs while standing on two of the dwarves' heads. Ainara thought that he bore some resemblance to the elven king but she could not be sure.

After what seemed like an eternity, they reached a calmer part of the river and to their relief, the orcs were nowhere to be seen. They paddled along as best as they could.

"I think we've outrun the orcs," Bofur cried.

"Not for long," Thorin replied, "we've lost half the current. Make for the shore! Quickly!"

They struggled out of the barrels and onto solid ground. Kili had been injured by one of the orcs so his brother bound his leg as quickly as he could. The dwarves knew that they had to find a way to get to the mountain before the orcs caught up with them and so they began discussing possible routes despite being exhausted and soaked to the skin.

Meanwhile, Ainara sat beside Ori who was draining his boots of river water.

"That was quite something, wasn't it?" the young dwarf said with a sigh, "Though I suppose it was even more uncomfortable for you, being surrounded by an element that opposes yours."

Ainara smiled. "Let's just say that was not my favorite experience."

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Despite everything, it seemed that Thorin's company still had some luck on their side. By chance they had met someone who had been able to smuggle them into Lake Town albeit in rather undignified circumstances. His manner may have been grim but Bard was a good man and he had welcomed the whole company into his home.

But in their search for proper weapons, the dwarves had made their presence known in the town and had initially been treated with suspicion by both the residents and the Master. Thorin, however, managed to convince them of the advantages of his quest and so the company was properly welcomed and treated like honored guests.

They were all still suspicious of the Master's motives after seeing such a drastic transition from hostility to hospitality but they decided not to dwell on this. It seemed of little consequence when they considered how far they had come, all the had endured, and how close they were to reaching their destination.

A feast had been celebrated in their honor and they enjoyed some material comfort before the trials ahead. Dry, clean clothes, the warmth of the fire, and a sturdy roof over their heads seemed like such luxury for them. During the festivities, they shared stories with the people about the history of Lake Town and how once, before the dragon arrived, it had been a rich and prosperous region.

Ainara listened eagerly to these tales, especially that about the black arrows that were supposedly the only weapons that could slay a dragon. She had not yet figured out how she would manage such a feat but she was determined to at least prevent the monster from harming any of her friends.

But it was refreshing to have an opportunity to enjoy themselves, no matter how briefly, after all that they had suffered. And they all knew that worse was still to come.

While the rest of the company indulged in as much merriment as they could, their leader had discreetly stepped out onto the balcony of the Master's house where he had a breathtaking view of the Lonely Mountain in the moonlight. He stared at it in awe and reverence and it stirred countless memories that he had not thought about in an age. He was so lost in pensive silence that he did not notice someone approach him carefully.

"May I join you?" Ainara asked politely. She would have preferred not to bother him but she inexplicably felt that this would be one of the last opportunities she could have a proper conversation with him.

He nodded at her and they stood together, gazing at the mountain in silence. It was an impressive sight for the firebender and though she had not been involved in its history, she felt a deep reverence for what it stood for. A once mighty kingdom that had fallen to ruin. And now she was going to help restore its glory. There was so much to take in.

"I promised I would answer your question from before," she began, looking at him solemnly, "I haven't forgotten, you see."

Neither had Thorin. And they both smiled when they remembered the circumstances in which he had asked her the question. Perhaps one reason why Ainara was determined to have this conversation was to avoid having another similarly awkward exchange during a deadly battle.

"I believe I already know the answer," the dwarf said with a rare smile.

"But I think I still need to say it," the firebender insisted gently, "just so that everything is clear."

Thorin understood and nodded at her to continue. He noticed her grave expression and knew that this was important to her.

"You asked me why I was fighting for your home when I was taken from mine," the warrior said earnestly, "but that is precisely the reason. Ten years I spent alone here, a stranger in a strange world. But now, I am finally part of something again. I have a purpose, one I am more than willing to die for."

"I sincerely hope it will not come to that," he told her gently, "you must stand with the rest of the company when reclaim Erebor from the clutches of the beast. You must be there to witness our days of glory return."

Ainara nodded to him gratefully, moved by his words as he had been by hers. Thorin listened attentively and gratefully.

He noticed that her eyes were filled with a deep sadness, a look he recognized as that of one who had endured great loss. After hearing her speak about her past, he knew that her experiences were not unlike his own. They had both suffered the loss of their loved ones as well as being banished from their homeland. She had already proven her loyalty on so many occasions and he knew that he would never doubt her again. But hearing her words only strengthened his faith in her.

The firebender looked pensive for a few moments, seeming to struggle with her next words. As much as they all wanted to avoid death, it was always a possibility and it did not do to pretend it was not.

"I refuse to stand alone in a field of my friends' corpses, not again," she declared, her eyes shining with grim determination, "I will protect every member of this company, no matter what it takes."


	13. Chapter XII

_Leminkaiya_

Disclaimer: I do not own either "The Hobbit" or "Avatar: The Last Airbender" but the wonderful lady firebender in the story is my precious.

NOTE:

I slightly changed the scene where they were searching for the keyhole to make it less embarrassing for the dwarves. I didn't make Thorin toss the key away, for instance.

For the purposes of the story, I have reduced Bilbo's role facing Smaug because this moment really belongs to Ainara, to my mind. And it's fascinating to explore her past as a dragonslayer as well so this deals a lot with that.

Enjoy.

**CHAPTER TWELVE**

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As they drew closer to the mountain, Ainara sensed the presence of the dragon.

The people of the Fire Nation had a natural affinity to these majestic creatures. Some legends even claimed that the dragons were the original firebending masters and had shared their gifts with people they had deemed worthy. Whenever Ainara remembered this she was struck with a deep sadness because she was not sure if she would have been considered worthy, not after what she had done during her dragonslaying days.

The first time there had been five of them. They had found the beast peacefully wandering the northern forests. They had cornered it easily an then when it tried to fly away, they had tossed large chains around its body, keeping it shackled to the ground. They had taken turns trying to defeat it but it had shielded itself with an impressive wall of fire and it had countered all of their attacks with ease. It had roared angrily at every blow they dealt it and had tried to grab some of them with its claws. It was only when they realized they would not be able to kill it on their own, that they joined forces and eventually, the creature gave in, exhausted and outnumbered.

This had been the same process with the other two dragons. And she thought now that they must have been so blinded by their lust for power that they had never considered that the dragons had never tried to harm them or anyone else. Each time they found a dragon, it would be peacefully wandering around, a threat to no one. But in their ambition, she and her friends had not cared, not until later.

The last dragon had struck them the most. It had been the most difficult to kill but when it finally fell, it let out a cry so mournful and heartbreaking that it brought tears to all their eyes. And just before it breathed its final breath, the dragon had looked at each one of them. Ainara would never forget that look and it would haunt her nightmares for many years.

The large, ancient eyes had stared at her in so much fear and sadness. And though the dragon had not spoken, Ainara was sure she had understood the question in its eyes.

"Why?" it seemed to ask, "Why have you done this to me?"

And she had never been able to find a satisfactory answer.

But as they stood at the side of the mountain, her instincts told her clearly that there was a malevolent presence within. He was not like one of the great beasts of old who taught men how to bend fire. This creature was all greed and destruction. Nervously, she wondered if he sensed her presence too and she fervently hoped he did not.

"This is my chance to atone for what I've done," she thought somberly, trying not to be distracted by painful memories, "This time I will be trying to slay a dragon who deserves to die."

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They reached the mountain at last and after some searching, found a stone stairway carved into the mountain itself leading to where they hoped the secret door would be. Dwalin and Nori set to work to find the keyhole while they all waited with bated breath.

It felt a little strange to stand at the threshold of their final destination without all members of the company present. But Kili's injury had not healed so Fili and Oin had opted to stay behind. And Bofur had overslept. They had endured so much together that it felt truly unjust for them to be incomplete at this crucial moment. Sad as this was, it could not be helped.

Ainara had gone to sit in a corner away from the rest of the company. She needed some moments of peace and solitude to concentrate on the task ahead. There had not been many opportunities on the road for her to meditate and focus her energy so she decided to do it now. She knew that in order to bend more effectively she would have to find some way to make peace with her past, even partially. So she paid little attention to the others and they did not disturb her.

Meanwhile, the sun was setting fast but there was still no sign of the keyhole. The dwarves grew frantic.

"The last light of Durin's day," Thorin muttered, repeating the words on the map Gandalf had given him, "this is our only chance."

As day gave in to night, the dwarves began to despair. Ainara noticed some commotion and saw that the dwarves were climbing down the mountain forlornly.

"You can't give up now!" Bilbo cried after them.

"What's going on?" Ainara asked the hobbit. He explained the situation to her and briefly before continuing to call after the dwarves.

"Just wait a little longer," the firebender joined in urging them to stay while Bilbo repeated the instructions on the runes to himself, trying to decipher their meaning. His face lit up when he caught sight of the moon.

"It's the light of the moon!" he shouted excitedly, "the last moon of autumn!"

"Well done, what would we do without you?" the firebender applauded her friend proudly as the dwarves scrambled back and looked to where the hobbit was excitedly pointing.

The moonlight had shone on the keyhole.

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Thorin discussed the final details of the mission to the burglar and the dragonslayer. The hobbit was clearly nervous but he was determined to keep his promise. The firebender was better at hiding her apprehension behind a mask of calm.

"I promised I would do this," Bilbo said bravely, "and I think I must try."

Balin expressed his admiration for the courage of hobbits and Bilbo gave him a grateful look.

"Go then," the old dwarf told Bilbo with an encouraging pat on the back, "with as much luck as you can muster."

"You won't be going in alone," Ainara said with a smile as she joined them, "How's that for luck?"

The rest of the dwarves gathered behind Balin to watch them off. They gave their friends encouraging and admiring looks. They would never forget the service the hobbit and the firebender were about to do for them and their kind. And the two companions did not want to disappoint them.

"Be careful," Thorin told them earnestly, "both of you."

Bilbo and Ainara nodded at him and tried to look as courageous as they could. They exchanged a look, then each took a deep breath before they went to fulfill their duties.

"I'll keep you safe," Ainara whispered to the hobbit as they made their way in, "let's stick together as much as possible. But if things go wrong, I'll give you the signal and you must promise me to run as fast you can."

"I'm not going to leave you behind," Bilbo said in alarm, "we started this thing together and that's how we shall finish it."

Ainara smiled at her friend, admiring his optimism. She said nothing else, not wanting to dampen his spirits.

They entered the chamber and were greeted with a glorious sight. They stood, open-mouthed, taking in the spectacle before them. A sea of gold and jewels, more riches than any of them could have ever imagined. For the first few minutes, they were so dazzled by the view that they forgot that there was a deadly dragon somewhere in that vast cave. They exchanged a look of awe and tried to contain their excitement. But they did not let themselves be distracted for long. After all, they did not know how much time they would have until the dragon noticed their presence.

"A great white jewel, they said," the hobbit lamented softly, "how do they expect me to find it in all this?"

"Don't worry, Master Burglar," Ainara whispered back, "I'm sure you'll find a way. And I'll help you as best as I can."

Carefully, they began to traverse the endless piles of gold and jewels, trying to find one that stood out while struggling not to make too much noise. The latter was proving to be impossible since the slightest movement caused coins or other items to jingle and every ringing sound echoed ominously across the cavern.

At one point, the hobbit unfortunately stubbed his big toe on a golden urn, and caused a nearby pile of coins to fall, making the loudest noise so far. He looked fearfully to his companion who motioned for him to remain calm.

"Try not to panic," Ainara mouthed but only received a frantic glare from the hobbit.

She sighed. "I did say 'try'."

It was then that they felt something big shift waves of coins and jewels just above them. Something dark and deadly was rising from the golden sea. Bilbo ran to his friend's side and hid himself behind her, clutching at her coat. She too was trembling slightly but she maintained her posture.

"He's awake at last," she thought gravely.

She took a deep breath and prepared herself for this confrontation, gathering as much energy as she could for a counterattack. She had decided she would not strike until it was absolutely necessary. Her main goal was to protect Bilbo and the dwarves as best as she could.

"Find somewhere to hide," she instructed the hobbit in a whisper, "he mustn't know you're here. I'll keep him distracted while you search for the stone."

"Will you be all right?" even in dire circumstances Bilbo could not help but be concerned for his friend.

Ainara smiled in spite of herself. "I've faced dragons before," she told him reassuringly, "now, go."

He did as he was told and scrambled off as fast as he can. When Ainara turned to see where he had gone, he seemed to have disappeared completely into the gold and she could find no sign of him.

"Master Baggins," she thought with pride, "you'll make a fine burglar yet."


	14. Chapter XIII

_Leminkaiya_

Disclaimer: I do not own either "The Hobbit" or "Avatar: The Last Airbender" but the wonderful lady firebender in the story is my precious.

NOTE: Here's the dragon! Such a fun chapter to write.

Again, I have to downplay Bilbo's role in this part of the story because how can I resist having Ainara and Smaug face-off? It's a wonderful opportunity to explore both characters and to have old Smaug meet his match although there is still more to come after this. And this part is based more on the movie than the books.

Enjoy.

**CHAPTER THIRTEEN**

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The firebender turned back to where a massive figure was gradually emerging from the gold. Her eyes widened as she saw the sheer size of the beast she was about to face. This dragon was far larger than any of those she had faced in her youth, and even more dangerous. She took a deep breath and concentrated on appearing calm while she kept both her hands at her sides, her fists clenched.

In a moment, she saw the creature's head as a long, scaly neck slinked around, scanning the area for the intruder whose presence he had undoubtedly sensed. Ainara stood her ground and it did not take long for the dragon to find her. Piles of coins and jewels shifted as the beast moved towards his prey. He looked at her curiously and it even seemed that he was grinning at her maliciously.

"Well, thief," said a voice so deep and sinister that Ainara could not help but shudder at the sound of it, "how daring of you to face me yourself though you must be quivering in your boots."

"I am no thief, sir," Ainara managed to reply, remembering to be as polite as possible just as Gandalf had advised her during the journey.

She raised her hands and opened them innocently. "I have taken nothing from you nor do I have any intention of doing so."

The dragon tilted his huge head in amusement. No one had ever been so bold as to answer back before and certainly not with such ease and confidence.

"Then, why are you here?" he asked, intrigued.

"To see you, of course," she answered eagerly since it was not far from the truth, "I have journeyed many days so that I may catch a glimpse of your majesty. But all the tales and songs do not do you justice. You are even greater than I could have ever imagined, oh Smaug the Magnificent."

"You seem familiar with my name," the dragon continued, sniffing the air near the warrior, "but I don't remember smelling any of your kind before. Who are you and where do you come from, may I ask?"

"I come from a distant land, worlds away from the mountain," Ainara replied, embellishing her story with half-truths, "and for my people, fire is sacred and dragons are held in the highest honor. But the dragons of our land are but tiny lizards in comparison to you, o Smaug the Tremendous. When I heard the tales of your enormity and power, I needed to see you for myself. For my people and I are fire-worshippers and dragons are our gods."

"Fire-worshipper? Hmmm," the dragon replied with interest and clearly flattered, "That is certainly one I haven't heard before."

"It is such a profound honor to be able to finally meet you, o Smaug the Sublime," Ainara continued, flattering the dragon as best as she could. The beast seemed pleased by her words and stared at her with fascination.

"I see that you have no weapons with you," the dragon commented, "you are either very brave or very foolish. Or perhaps even both."

"I did not come here to quarrel with anyone," the warrior explained, "it is more than enough for me to lay eyes on your greatness."

"And such interesting eyes you have," Smaug remarked greedily, "if only I could add them to my collection."

Such a comment only made Ainara's eyes widen to the dragon's delight but she said nothing. Her fists clenched but she maintained her composure.

"And what about your little dwarf friends? Where are they hiding?" Smaug inquired, his enormous eyes narrowing at her. He had smelled their scent and knew that they were not far. He was not so easily fooled.

But she did not flinch and said nothing in response at first. "I am a foreigner here," she remarked casually, "I do not have any friends."

The dragon was not convinced. "They sent you in here to do their dirty work while they skulk about outside. Or perhaps you are not alone. For I sense another, tiny presence."

"Indeed, you are mistaken, my lord Smaug," Ainara insisted, "I am the only one here. I am the only one brave enough to face you."

The dragon laughed at this, a chilling sound that echoed across the halls. The warrior remained calm, buying as much time for Bilbo as she could. She still had caught no sign of him but for as long as the dragon's attention was focused on her, she knew her friend would be safe.

"I know the smell and taste of dwarf, no one better," Smaug boasted, moving around the halls with Ainara trying her best to keep up, "It is the gold. They are drawn to treasure like flies to dead flesh. Did you think I did not know this day would come? That a pack of dwarves would come crawling back to the mountain?"

She let him talk because he was clearly enamored with the sound of his own voice. And she had a feeling that the only reason he had let her live this long was to have someone to talk to, after many years in complete isolation. There was never anyone there to listen to his boasts.

"The king under the mountain is dead," Smaug continued, "I took his throne and ate his people like a wolf among sheep. I kill where I wish, when I wish. My armor is iron. No blade can pierce me."

She would have pitied him if he was not so horrible and did not speak of his destruction of the the dwarves' kingdom with such callousness.

"It's Oakenshield, that filthy, dwarfish usurper!" Smaug declared.

Ainara frowned, unable to hide her disdain at such a mention of Thorin's name.

"If anyone is a usurper, it's you!" she was tempted to say but had managed to restrain herself. The change in her expression, however, had not been lost to Smaug and he flashed his teeth in satisfaction at having provoked the intruder.

"He sent you in here for the Arkenstone, did he not?" the dragon urged.

"No," Ainara replied with conviction because it was the truth. She was not the one who would retrieve the jewel, after all. Her calm confidence irked Smaug.

"You are being used, thief in the shadows," he said persuasively, "You were only ever a means to an end. The coward Oakenshield has weighed the value of your life and found it worth nothing."

But every attempt the dragon made to destroy Thorin's character only made Ainara distrust his words even more. She would not allow this vile creature to poison her mind.

"What did he promise you? A share of the treasure, as if it were his to give," the dragon scoffed, "I will not part with a single coin, not one piece of it."

The firebender almost smiled. Smaug did not know that such talk would not have any effect on her, that the reason she had joined the quest was not material gain. But she didn't expect a the greedy creature to understand. His body may have been large but his perspective was narrow. And Smaug was growing more and more frustrated at her impassiveness. He wanted to make this puny intruder realize who she was facing.

"My teeth are swords," the dragon continued arrogantly, determined to intimidate, "My claws are spears. My wings are a hurricane."

Smaug raised himself up to his full height and spread his wings to demonstrate his might. But it was then that Ainara saw it, the hollow in the dragon's chest that would lead to his doom. In spite of everything, Ainara could not help but smile.

"You're not as invincible as you think," she thought to herself. And from the corner of her eye she noticed a slight movement behind a nearby pillar. For a brief moment, Bilbo signaled to her that he was all right and he had gotten what he had been sent in for. But just as quickly as he had appeared, the hobbit vanished.

"Well done, my dear Bilbo," Ainara thought as she prepared herself for the next step, "now it's time to make an exit."

"I am almost tempted to let you take it if only to see Oakenshield suffer," Smaug said malevolently, not realizing that the Arknestone had already been taken. He had seen that speaking ill of Thorin had an effect on the intruder and he wanted to provoke her as much as he could.

"You can watch it destroy him, watch it corrupt his heart, and drive him mad," the dragon taunted and true enough, Ainara glared at him with undisguised hatred.

"But I think not, I think our little game ends here," Smaug said with an evil grin, raising his head and gathering fire in his belly so that the scales began to glow, "So tell me, so-called fire-worshipper, how do you choose to die?"

With one swift movement, he dragon lowered his head and breathed large flames that immediately engulfed the tiny warrior. Having emptied his belly of fire, he was eager to see the charred remains of the insolent intruder. She would make quite a tasty meal and he was looking forward to it.

But to his utter shock, two arms emerged, cutting throuhg the deadly flames, dispersing them until they were reduced to almost nothing. And there stood Ainara, unscathed and with her arms raised in a fighting stance.

"In a blaze of glory," she answered proudly, her golden eyes glowing, "but not from you."


	15. Chapter XIV

_Leminkaiya_

Disclaimer: I do not own either "The Hobbit" or "Avatar: The Last Airbender" but the wonderful lady firebender in the story is my precious.

NOTE: Such a fun chapter to write. And we've finally reached the end of the second movie. The first part is hopefully as epic as I imagined it. Having her go against Smaug is one of the reasons I wanted a firebender in this story.

The second half pretty much follows what happened in the movie with a slight difference at the end. It's an action-packed chapter and I hoped I managed to do it justice with my little descriptions.

Enjoy.

**CHAPTER FOURTEEN**

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There were a very few things that could shock a dragon. Indeed, Smaug had not been shocked by anything for many years. For the first few moments, he could do nothing but stare at his opponent in stunned silence.

Ainara remained tense and alert, taking deep breaths to conserve her energy and prepare herself for the next attack. It had been easy enough to disperse the flames because he had underestimated her and it was to her advantage that he was still not aware of the full extent of her powers. But she still needed all the strength she could muster to face his rage.

Recovering from the shock, Smaug frowned and took a better look at the person standing before him. She looked like a human but from the very beginning there had been something unique about her scent, something not unlike his. And those eyes. He should have known she was no ordinary intruder, one of the most interesting visitors he'd had in an age.

"What are you?" the dragon demanded, extending his neck until his face was inches away from her, his glowing eyes staring intently.

"Where I come from, we are called firebenders," Ainara answered truthfully, since the time for games and subterfuge was over, "and that is but a glimpse of what I'm capable of."

"Firebenders," Smaug repeated, savoring the word, "an interesting name and an even more interesting ability. It's been a long time since anyone has provided a good challenge."

"Thank you," Ainara could not help but be cheeky, "that means a great deal coming from you."

"Hmmm," Smaug replied gruffly, "and where did those filthy dwarves find you?"

"That's none of your concern," the firebender responded calmly, though it angered her that everyone assumed the dwarves had found her somewhere, like a sword in a troll hoard.

"It matters not," Smaug said dismissively, "you will never see them again. I shall enjoy killing you. But first, show me what you can do."

"Gladly," Ainara answered, executing a series of fire blasts first from punches and then from well-timed kicks. These wasn't a very large display and none of them would harm the dragon, of course, but she simply wanted to prove that she was someone to be taken a little bit more seriously.

And she saw that Smaug was fascinated by her powers. Perhaps this was the first time he was enthralled by something other than treasure. As a test, he blew some more fire towards the warrior which she easily dispersed with her bare hands. He continued to attack her, watching her counterattacks with growing amusement.

Ainara began to vary her responses, not just dispersing the flames but redirecting them and when she had enough time, shooting them back towards the dragon. He evaded her attacks easily but was still intrigued that someone was able to use his own ammunition against him. It had truly been a long time since any opponent had been worth fighting. The past decades had been so dull and boring and the dragon was eager for some exercise.

The battle was exhilarating for Ainara too. He was her greatest opponent so far and though she was still afraid of him and aware of his size and power, she was determined to defeat him, the dragon who deserved to be slain. This was less about any atonement than about revenge for the dwarves and, she had to admit, a sense of personal glory. Guilt had prevented her from becoming a dragonslayer and here was a finally a chance to fight unburdened by that.

She would slip and slide over the mountains of gold but she always managed to find her balance by propelling herself with jet blasts from powerful kicks. And each time Smaug thought he had surrounded her in fire, she managed to shield herself in time, creating small domes of flame around her, from there she would project jets of fire either towards the dragon's eyes or that small vulnerable spot on his chest.

Smaug evaded these attacks with less speed each time and he was growing frustrated. He would not allow himself to be defeated by someone so small, no matter how unique her abilities. Only the great serpents of old could have vanquished him and they were no more. He was the last of his kind and he would not go down this way.

"This is probably the greatest Agni Kai in history," Ainara could not help but think as she fought valiantly.

With every flame she dissolved and every blast she redirected, she felt more invigorated, like her strength was not just her own but that she had some kind of support. With every punch and kick she threw towards the dragon, she could almost feel the presence of others guiding her and giving her strength. She could almost hear their voices cheering her on, her fallen friends, protecting her from worlds away.

"I will not fail you," she thought with determination, addressing both the friends she had lost and those she still had whom she had sworn to protect: Bilbo, Thorin, and the rest of the company.

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"We need to go back for her!" Bilbo cried breathlessly as he met Thorin near the entrance to the mountain. The hobbit was relieved that someone had decided to go in and check on them. But the dwarf hesitated and Bilbo noticed a strange glint in his eyes. Something was wrong.

"Thorin?" he asked, frowning nervously.

"She can take care of herself," the dwarf muttered gravely, in a voice that did not sound like his own.

"What is the matter with you?" Bilbo protested, "I barely escaped with my life and the dragon had not even noticed I was there. She may be strong but she is all alone against that monster!"

For some inexplicable reason, Thorin remained silent, his eyes still with that unnerving expression. Bilbo was growing more and more concerned but time was running out and he knew that he needed to find a way of talking some sense to the dwarf leader.

"Thorin!" the hobbit cried, "we cannot abandon her!"

The ground shook as dragon and firebender exchanged a particularly powerful set of blows. Thorin and Bilbo struggled to keep their footing. In the uproar they heard a cry of rage and pain that came unmistakably from Ainara. This seemed to bring Thorin back to his senses.

"Where is she?" he asked the hobbit, who heaved a sigh of relief. This sounded more like the Thorin he knew. In a moment, the rest of the dwarves joined them.

But the dragon had caught the dwarves' scent immediately. He turned away from the firebender and charged angrily towards the company. He knew that they would be easier to kill and that their deaths would cause more pain to the warrior than anything else. Ainara noticed the change and ran to try and overtake him before he could do the others any harm.

"Cowards!" roared Smaug accusingly, "You send a single warrior to face me because you are too weak and pathetic to fight your own battles! You will burn!"

The dragon blasted fire towards the dwarves which Ainara barely managed to disperse as she leapt, propelled herself with a kick, and landed in front of them in the nick of time. She panted and gasped for breath as the other gathered around her.

"What are you doing here?" she asked impatiently, "It isn't safe! Are you trying to get yourselves killed?"

"We won't leave you behind," Thorin declared stubbornly.

"We're in this together, remember?" Bilbo added. The rest of the dwarves nodded and raised their weapons, ready to fight. Frustrated as she was at their foolhardiness, the firebender could not help but smile with gratitude.

"Well, well, what a lovely reunion," Smaug commented sarcastically, "I must apologize for bringing it to an end!"

"Run!" Ainara ordered the dwarves while she deflected the dragon's attack. They scurried through narrow halls and somehow managed to hide from Smaug's wrath for a few minutes.

"I really appreciate your coming in here, I was getting quite exhausted," Ainara muttered as they fled, "but how do we get out alive?"

Thorin and Balin discussed escape routes in urgent whispers and soon Thorin was leading the way. They all followed as silently and as stealthily as they could.

"I will not die like this, cowering, clawing for breath," Thorin muttered with grim resolve, "we make for the forges."

"He'll see us, sure as death," Dwalin protested.

"Not if we split up," Thorin argued, "some of us may make it. Lead him to the forges."

"We don't need to split up," Ainara insisted, "show me the way and I can protect everyone until we get there. I will not let him singe a single hair of your beards."

Thorin nodded to her solemnly. "We kill the dragon," he declared passionately, "if this is to end in fire, then we will all burn together."

They made their way hastily toward the great forges with the firebender ready to defend them against any attacks from the dragon. It did not take long for him to find them.

"Flee! Flee! Run for your lives!" Smaug taunted his victims, "There is nowhere to hide."

"We do not need to hide," Ainara replied, unyielding as she raised her hands and deflected the dragon's fire, giving the others the chance to reach their destination. She kept up with them, redirecting the flames that Smaug continued to blow their way. It was too difficult to strike back but she was still able to shield them from any harm.

"Go!" she shouted as she kept the dragon distracted while the rest of the dwarves finally reached the forges.

"The plan's not going to work," Dwalin lamented, "these furnaces are stone cold."

"Even with Ainara's help," Balin agreed, "I don't know if she still has the strength to light all of these.

Just then, the firebender managed to catch up with them and she was gasping for breath. Dori and Ori helped keep her standing.

"We've no fire hot enough to set them ablaze," Balin concluded and all eyes turned to Thorin.

"Have we not?" he said, unfazed, and turning to face the dragon, "I did not expect to see you so easily outwitted. You have grown slow and fat in your dotage, slug!"

The dragon growled and the rest of them realized what Thorin's plan had been.

"Take cover!" he warned them and they had just enough time to stand behind stone pillars as the dragon blew enormous flames into the forges. Ainara did not even bother to bend any of these since they served a purpose. The forges came to life.

Suddenly, the dwarves were working as a team. Thorin organized the whole thing and everyone was given a task. They worked eagerly and efficiently to keep the dragon occupied.

"Lead him to the gallery of the kings!" Thorin commanded.

Bilbo and Ainara followed the dwarves' lead and they found themselves in a vast, empty hall with large banners hanging from all sides. A few moments later, Smaug crashed through.

"You thought you could deceive me, firebender," the dragon said angrily, "You have come from Laketown. This is some sordid scheme hatched by you, these filthy dwarves, and those miserable lake-men. Perhaps it is time, I paid them a visit!"

"No!" Bilbo protested, "This isn't their fault!"

"Your quarrel is with us," Ainara added, standing in front of the hobbit protectively, "they have nothing to with this."

Smaug turned to them and glanced at Bilbo with interest.

"What strange friends indeed these dwarves have made," he commented, "first a firebender, and now a halfling. You care about the lake-men, do you? Good. Then you can watch them die!"

The dragon turned away to leave but was stopped in his tracks by a booming voice. Bilbo and Ainara turned to watch in awe.

"You witless worm!" Thorin cried, standing on top of a tall stone in the center of the hall, "I am taking back what you stole!"

"You will take nothing from me, dwarf!" Smaug retorted, "I laid low your warriors of old! I instilled terror in the hearts of men! I am king under the mountain!"

"This is not your kingdom, these are dwarf lands, this is dwarf gold," Thorin declared proudly, "and we will have our revenge!"

He cried out in Khuzdul and as Bilbo and Ainara watched him fearlessly and proudly facing the dragon, they both thought that he had never look more kingly than at this moment. Here at last was the noble heir of the mountain and it was a far more impressive sight than the greedy dragon.

As the other dwarves pulled at the chains surrounding the stone, they a towering golden statue of a dwarf king. Mesmerized by its radiance, Smaug stared at it in wonder, a fatal moment of hesitation. For the statue quickly dissolved, drowning the dragon in a sea of molten gold.

"That's amazing!" Bilbo exclaimed to his friend but he saw that although Ainara looked impressed, she still seemed worried, "What's the matter?"

"I'm not sure that's enough to kill him," she whispered with a frown.

After all, she had faced the dragon herself and she had a better idea of his powers than any of them. True enough, Smaug emerged moments later, coated in gold and roaring with rage.

"REVENGE? REVENGE!" the dragon bellowed, "I WILL SHOW YOU REVENGE!"

But as the beast crashed out of the mountain hellbent on destruction, he did not notice someone chase after him and cling to his tail just as he was taking flight. Smaug was going to Laketown but he was not alone.


	16. Chapter XV

_Leminkaiya_

Disclaimer: I do not own either "The Hobbit" or "Avatar: The Last Airbender" but the wonderful lady firebender in the story is my precious.

NOTE: Now, we're in unknown territory since the third movie isn't out yet but I don't want to wait until it is out to finish this story because I think I will be too emotionally numb after that.

I've altered Bard's role in the story significantly because I really feel that this is the part where Ainara can show her true powers. Sorry, Bard, but this is my story. And he'll still be around for what happens next, anyway. It's not like Ainara's going to rule Laketown.

So this will be mostly based on the book and the little we got from the trailers. But the book is a pretty good reference and on the bright side, you might find the this part of the story more "original" since more of it will be my invention than the previous sections. But like the third movie, this part will probably be the most painful and emotional in the whole story and I can only hope that every emotion feels earned.

I hope this reads as exciting as I imagined it to be. It was one of my favorite chapters to write because everything that follows this will be painful.

Enjoy.

**CHAPTER FIFTEEN**

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So engrossed was Smaug in his thoughts for revenge and so thick were his scales that he did not feel the light weight of the firebender on his back. Ainara was careful to keep away from his line of sight while holding on tightly. They were drawing near Laketown where the inhabitants were in blissful ignorance of what was about to befall them.

"I need to warn them somehow," the firebender thought and yet she also did not want to risk revealing herself to the dragon. But she decided that the lives of the people mattered more.

She then noticed a tall bell-tower near the centre of the town and with a couple, well-aimed blasts from her fists, she managed to hit the bell. Its ringing echoed across the town and the effect was immediate. People looked out of their windows and at once saw the shadow of the dragon descending upon them.

"Flee!" Ainara cried out, no longer caring that Smaug would have noticed her by now, "The dragon is here! Run for your lives!"

There was a great flurry of movement as the frightened people stumbled out of their homes and rushed to find a safe place to hide from the dragon's wrath. Smaug roared and unleashed large flames onto the wooden roofs of the houses and as the fire was reflected in the lake, the water itself seemed to burn too. The air was filled with the screams and cries of the terrified lake-men, music to the ears of the vicious dragon. Having caused some destruction, the beast paused his flight and turned his huge head to his back where he glared at his unwanted passenger.

"So, you dared to follow me here, you puny parasite!" he growled at her, "I will make you regret your folly!"

He shook his body violently and blew some fire towards Ainara but she was ready for this. She managed to deflect the flames while leaping off the dragon and landing safely though not so gracefully on the roof of a nearby house.

"I am not so easily killed," she said proudly, "and I will not allow you to slaughter these innocent people!"

This made Smaug laugh in derision but Ainara did not mind since the beast's amusement bought the people of Laketown some precious minutes to escape. She was also worried about the members of the company who had been left behind and she hoped that they would be able to flee in time.

"You think you can prevent me from doing anything I want!" Smaug boasted, "You may have the power to bend fire but you are alone and you are still weak. And these peasants are weaker still. You will watch them die!"

With this, the dragon unleashed another round of deadly flames. Ainara propelled herself with jets of fire behind her so that she could position herself in front of the dragon and somehow diffuse the flames he was breathing. She also tried to reduce the damage being caused and tried to redirect as much fire as she could away from the fleeing townspeople.

Many had taken their boats and were making their escape in the canals leading to the lake, hoping the water would protect them somehow. On one such boat rode the dwarves who had been left behind as well as an elf warrior and the children of Bard the Bowman. Tauriel rode at the front of the boat with the daughters of Bard behind her. Oin had a protective arm around one of the girls while Bain and Kili road beside him. Fili and Bofur were busy rowing as fast as they could. As they fled across the water, they heard several people express their surprise that the dragon's fire was not always causing too much damage.

"Something is cutting through the flames and somehow making them smaller!" someone commented, "We are being protected!"

Tauriel turned to where the dragon hovered over the town and with her keen sight, noticed a lone figure dissolving the bursts of fire coming from the dragon's mouth. The other dwarves looked up as well and they immediately knew who was responsible for all this.

"It's her," Tauriel muttered in awe at the immense power of the firebender even when faced with the might of the dragon.

"Ainara has come from the mountain!" Fili cried with excitement, "and perhaps our uncle and the others are not far behind."

"She is the Dragonslayer," Kili added admiringly, "and she has come to fulfill her destiny!"

"Do you think she can take him down all by herself?" asked the younger of Bard's daughters.

"If anyone can do it, it will be her," Bofur told her with a smile.

Tauriel and the dwarves wanted to stay and watch the battle but they knew that the safety of the children was their first priority. They did not know where Bard was but he was a resourceful man and he seemed like he would be able to find a way to escape.

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"You are beginning to irritate me, you insect," Smaug roared as another of his attacks had been thwarted by the determined firebender.

"Good,"Ainara replied calmly as she swiftly dodged one of the dragon's claws as he attempted to grab her yet again.

She moved fast even across the crumbling houses of the town. There were still enough rooftops for her to leap onto in order to keep up with the dragon, even as he tried to ignore her and continued to torch the rest of the town. She was growing tired and she knew that the great beast had larger reserves of energy than she did but she was not going to let him win. She was counting on her determination to keep her moving and fighting.

As the battle raged, she could not help but think that a waterbender would have been a real asset in such an environment. With the lake nearby and the canals running through the entire town, it would have been easy to counter the dragon's attacks. An airbender would have been better able to keep up with the dragon and an earthbender would have been able to build protective shields for the people against the fire. This was just one of those dire occasions when Ainara wished she was the Avatar.

But such thoughts were counterproductive. She noticed that most of the town had emptied and the dragon was simply burning deserted houses. She took the opportunity to catch her breath and think of a better strategy of defeating him. She knew that he would not rest until everyone was dead and he would easily catch up with those who had fled. As she paused, she noticed a lone figure running in the shadows.

"Bard!" she cried in recognition, and the lake-man looked up at her. He held something in his hands and showed it to her, crying, "The last black arrow!"

She remembered the stories about how this was the only weapon that could pierce the dragon's hide. Fortune was smiling on them at last.

They quickly devised a plan where the firebender would try to stall the dragon long enough for Bard to reach the tower where the windlance was mounted. He would load the Black Arrow and direct it to the hollow in the dragon's left breast that Ainara described as the beast's weak point.

"I don't know how you plan to distract him long enough but I trust you," the bowman remarked, "your powers are unlike anything I've ever seen before."

"And I haven't used all of them yet," Ainara replied, an idea dawning on her, "wait for my signal!"

She propelled herself to the nearby roof and leaped from rooftop to rooftop until she overtook Smaug. She saw that he was not far from the tower of the windlance so she decided to lure him closer by launching a few fire blasts towards him. She knew that though these shots would not hurt the dragon, they would annoy him. And sure enough, she got his attention.

"You try my patience, parasite!" Smaug roared, turning around and flying to where the firebender stared up at him audaciously, "I had been saving you for the last so that you could watch these people and this wretched town burn. But you have proven to be such a nuisance that perhaps it is better to kill you now."

But Ainara had anticipated an arrogant speech from the dragon. She had learned how much he enjoyed boasting of his powers and it allowed her some time to concentrate. Her eyes were closed, enraging the dragon further.

"You will not even face me in death!" he bellowed in fury, "You are nothing but a filthy coward after all!"

As he prepared his attack, gathering fire in his glowing belly, Ainara took a deep breath and with careful and precise movements generated blue lightning around her body. Before the dragon could react she had shot lightning from her fingers towards the massive creature. The electric shock spread across his entire body and Smaug found himself completely incapacitated. He could not speak nor breathe fire. His figure twitched and remained suspended in mid-air, seemingly chained by bolts of deadly lightning.

"I can't hold him for very long!" Ainara shouted, "Now is your only chance, Bard!"

But the bowman was ready and he aimed the black arrow towards the dragon's weak spot and let it fly. But just as it was about to hit its mark, Smaug broke free of his shackles and moved out of the way.

The arrow fell into the darkness below. Bard stared in shock and dismay. "All is lost," he cried in despair, falling to his knees.

The dragon laughed victoriously.

"You thought you would slay me, lake-man, you with your pathetic black arrow!" Smaug taunted, "But you've failed as so many have before you. That was your only chance and you missed!"

"Not quite!" came another voice.

The dragon frowned and turned to face who had spoken and saw Ainara, using jet propulsion to move herself towards him, the black arrow in one hand and the rest of her lightning concentrated in the other. Before Smaug realized what was about to happen, Ainara had paralyzed his neck with lightning as she plunged the black arrow deep into his weak spot. The dragon roared in pain and fury. His massive body had begun to descend but the warrior did not want him to miss her next words.

"I am Ainara of the Fire Nation, member of the company of Thorin Oakenshield," she declared triumphantly as she leapt to a nearby roof and watched the beast's body crash to the ground, "Smaug the dragon is slain. His reign of terror is over!"


	17. Chapter XVI

_Leminkaiya_

Disclaimer: I do not own either "The Hobbit" or "Avatar: The Last Airbender" but the wonderful lady firebender in the story is my precious.

NOTE: Since the movie isn't out yet, this is really going to be mostly my speculation. I've used some lines of dialogue lifted from the book (for Bard) but since the events in the movie look like they will be quite different, I will just adapt as best as I can.

And since this is the last lap of the story, the chapters will be longer than usual but hopefully not boring. We still have some way to go for this so please bear with me.

Enjoy.

**CHAPTER SIXTEEN**

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Her task accomplished, Ainara collapsed to the ground, completely exhausted. Fortunately, some of her friends had returned to the town and witnessed her victory. Seeing her succumb to her injuries, they rushed to her side.

"You were incredible!" cried several excited voices.

The firebender opened her eyes and found herself surrounded by the worried faces of Oin, Bofur, Fili, and Kili. She was also surprised to see Tauriel there, helping tend to her wounds while whispering words of praise and admiration.

"It's good to see you all," the firebender said weakly.

"Don't exert yourself too much," Tauriel scolded, "you need rest."

"And your wounds need tending," Oin said, inspecting her injuries carefully and doing whatever he could to help her.

"These wounds," Bofur remarked gravely as he assisted his kinsman in bandaging her injuries, "they're mostly burns."

"Well, what did you expect, my dear Bofur?" Ainara replied, almost with a laugh.

The dwarf blushed and his companions looked similarly embarrassed. "Well, we thought that…," he began awkwardly.

"You are just as likely to bleed by your own sword as you are by that of another, are you not?" the firebender explained. They all nodded, understanding her immediately.

Bard had arrived and offered his help. Oin and Tauriel instructed him and the other dwarves on what they needed. Kili was asked to stay behind since he was not fully recovered from his own injury but he helped in any way he could. She was grateful to all of them.

"We owe you a great debt," Bard told the firebender solemnly.

"I could not have done it without your help," Ainara replied, sharing the credit even though Bard protested, "if you had not saved that black arrow, we could not have defeated the beast. I'm all right now and my friends will take good care of me. You should find your family and tend to your wounded. No doubt there are many people who need you now."

The bargeman nodded and followed her advice. The dwarves showed him where they had taken his children for safety and he thanked them. His family had been lucky but there were many in the town who had suffered from the dragon's attack. Bard did all he could to comfort these victims.

All was calm for the time being. The dragon was gone. The town was safe. Everyone was alive.

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Not long after all this, a boat arrived, bearing Bilbo, Thorin, and the rest of the company. From the mountain, they had seen the destruction caused by the dragon and though they had been afraid, they could not leave the rest of their company in such dire straits. Some of them had been reluctant but Bilbo had convinced them all to go back and to do what they could.

"But what can we do?" the dwarves had protested, "How can we fight against

"When faced with death, what can anyone do?" Bilbo had said, "But we must at least try to help. We cannot abandon them to their deaths!" The hobbit had cried passionately and to his relief, they had listened to him.

But there had been something about their hesitation that had worried Bilbo. He was especially concerned about Thorin, who seemed different ever since they had set foot inside the mountain. Though he could not quite put his finger on it, the hobbit knew that something had changed in the dwarf's countenance. It was subtle but it was there and it made him anxious. But he hoped that it would pass.

When they finally reached Laketown, they were all overjoyed to see that none of their kin had been harmed by the dragon. And as soon as they saw the injured body of Ainara, they began to fuss over her while being regaled by the account of how she slew the dragon, eagerly provided by Fili, Kili, Bofur, and Oin.

They noticed that one of the elves was among them but when the brothers explained Tauriel's role in all that had happened, all the dwarves expressed their gratitude.

Even Thorin could not be ungracious to someone who had saved the life of his kinsman and he nodded politely to the elf. She returned the gesture with respect and watched with fascination as the uncle threw his arms around both his nephews affectionately. He held them close and whispered apologies for having left them behind. He was not sure how he would have borne it if the dragon had taken two more of his kin.

Bilbo sat at the side of the recuperating firebender. Some of her strength had returned and she was able to sit up properly. She smiled at her friend as he took her hand gently. She noticed that the hobbit was emotional and was clearly holding back tears.

"I'm glad you're all right," he muttered awkwardly but he looked with worry at all the bandages that covered her many injuries.

"My dear Bilbo, do not look so distressed," she reassured him, "all these look worse than they really are. And truly all I need is some rest."

"And you deserve that and more," the hobbit told her, "after all you've done."

Thorin approached them and stared at the firebender admiringly. "You have achieved the impossible," he said, "and now a share of the treasure seems meager compensation for all you have done for us."

She shook her head. "It is reward enough for me to know that that beast will never harm anyone ever again."

The dwarf nodded and the firebender could not help but notice something different about him, as if a shadow was slowly creeping upon him and he was struggling to keep it at bay.

"Are you all right, Thorin?" she asked, frowning with concern.

"How strange that you should ask me that when you are the one in bandages," he replied though he did not sound as convincing as he had hoped.

"Perhaps it's the fatigue talking," Ainara said, to save them from any embarrassment.

But she and Bilbo continued to scrutinize Thorin carefully. The hobbit was slightly relieved to know that he was not the only one who had noticed the change in their companion. Their unease was growing though neither of them knew how to address it.

The company discussed the situation amongst themselves for a while longer. Tauriel took her leave and said that she had to rejoin one of her kinsmen who was in pursuit of orcs. The others gave her and Kili a moment to say goodbye while they made some plans.

"We must return to the mountain and rebuild our kingdom," Thorin declared, with an almost desperate urgency. It was clear that he did not want to linger in the town and wait for the inhabitants to return. News of the dragon's demise had surely spread and the people would soon be wondering about the fate of the dwarves company who had entered the mountain.

As the other dwarves prepared their boat, Thorin told Ainara, in a gentler tone, "You may stay here and recover from your injuries, if you wish."

"I am not an invalid yet," she protested, "and I am quite recovered, the worst of my wounds already tended to. And I would like to see the glory of the mountain untainted by the dragon's malice."

"Very well," he replied gravely.

"It will take more than a dragon to break me," she reassured them all.

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And so the company returned to the mountain in triumph, no longer seeking a hidden doorway but passing through the front gate, battered though it was by the dragon's wrath. They entered the great halls with confidence and strength, knowing that the monster that had resided there would trouble them no more.

This was the homecoming they had long dreamed of and the four dwarves who had been left behind finally looked in wonder at their reclaimed kingdom. Thorin walked ahead and brought Fili and Kili with him, proudly showing them their legacy. The dwarves were finally able to properly admire the wealth and grandeur of their ancestors.

Behind them, Bilbo and Ainara walked, also properly appreciating their surroundings for the first time. They both felt honored to be a part of this momentous occasion for their friends. However, what touched them both more than the brilliance of the treasure or the magnificence of the architecture was the pure emotion on the faces of their friends, the dwarves who had wandered in exile for many years, distraught and disgraced, finally setting foot in their own land, in the place where they belonged.

"They look so happy," Bilbo whispered to his friend, "they're home at last."

Ainara nodded and tried to suppress her tears. "Even only for this, my dear Bilbo, that look on their faces, all of our efforts have been worthwhile."

"But I do not think this adventure is over yet," the hobbit remarked.

"No, indeed," Ainara agreed, "there is still much work to be done."

And so they began the long and arduous process of rebuilding Erebor from the ruins of the dragon. They were determined to purge the mountain of every foul trace of Smaug's presence. There was an almost endless list of tasks to be accomplished but they all did their parts with fervor. The broken pieces of their ancestor's statues needed to be raised up, the gates repaired, the halls tidied, the banners re-hung. Soon, the mountain would be as it had been, a kingdom of splendor and light and not a dragon's lair.

As the work progressed, Bilbo and Ainara noticed a change come over the dwarves. They seemed increasingly entranced by all the treasure that surrounded them. While the two companions were still overwhelmed by the accumulated wealth of the mountain, they felt no real desire for any of it. The hobbit was perfectly content simply to have good food and a warm hearth and if there were to be any excesses in his life, these would be culinary in nature. The firebender, always a soldier, waited for the next battle or the next opportunity to prove her worth and to bring honor to herself and her family. And having just slain a dragon, her thirst for glory was more than satisfied.

But the dwarves' new behavior bothered them greatly. Thorin, in particular, seemed to spend more and more time simply staring at the mountains of gold and treasure that filled the mountain. At first he seemed lost in memories of the past as he walked the familiar halls built by his forefathers. But his expression had hardened and at times he seemed not to notice any of others, so transfixed was he by the treasure.

"This cannot be healthy," Ainara whispered to Bilbo one night as they observed Thorin wandering around the halls with that unnervingly vacant expression on his face, "all this gold is somehow affecting his mind."

"It's affecting all of them and I don't know what we can do to stop it," the hobbit told her, "this is their treasure, after all, their inheritance. Thorin's especially."

"But what can we do to help?" the firebender asked with a sigh, "We don't even know what ails them. And it would be unfair to ask them to leave all this again, when they have only just found it. How complicated all this is."

As concerned as they both were, they were hesitant to approach Thorin. They were not sure of what to say to him. Though his manners to them of late had grown somewhat cold and distant, he had not uttered an unkind word towards them or treated them badly. Thus far they felt that they had no real cause for complaint.

But they remained uneasy and soon even the other dwarves began to look concerned. The four who had been left behind in Laketown, Oin, Bofur, Fili, and Kili were notably shaken by the change they saw in their leader and uncle. Naturally, they had been impressed by the treasure but they grew worried at the way Thorin was growing so fiercely attached to it. Old Balin also looked grave as painful memories seemed to be resurfacing even after the dragon had fallen.

"I wish Gandalf were here to advise us," the hobbit lamented, "but for now, we must make do. Nothing serious has happened yet and we must try and hope for the best."

"I wish I had your optimism," Ainara thought. She had faith in her friends but she would also not let her guard down.

The hobbit was convinced that though the dwarves were attached to their gold, they would not be unreasonable about parting with it for just causes. Ainara hoped this would be the case but she and the others remained wary.

They knew that the Lake-men would demand compensation for the damage caused by Smaug and soon enough a lone figure was seen approaching the mountain. They recognized Bard and though some of them would have wanted to greet him warmly, a stern look from Thorin prevented them from doing so.

The bargeman moved forward, his bearing as grim as ever, and spoke to Thorin and his company through an opening in the ruins of the mountain. "Hail Thorin! Why do you fence yourself like a robber in his hold? We are not foes and we rejoice that you and your companions are alive."

"What is your business here?" Thorin asked dourly.

"I would speak for the men of Esgaroth," Bard replied, "whose dwellings Smaug destroyed in the last battle. I ask whether you have no thought for the sorrow and misery of the people. They aided you in your distress and you brought upon them only ruin and death, though doubtless undesigned."

Thorin frowned but he could not deny the justice in those words. "The price fo the goods and the assistance that we received from the Lake-men we will fairly pay in due time," he replied gravely and his companions all sighed with relief. It was a reasonable answer to a just request.

But Bard continued to stand there, clearly not quite satisfied with this answer. Thorin's frown deepened. "What more do you ask of us?"

"I remind you of the words you spoke to my people not many days passed," Bard answered, "the promises of peace and prosperity, the sharing of the wealth of the mountain."

At this, a shadow fell across the dwarf king's face. His companions watched him warily though his words did not prove to be those they had feared.

"To the treasure of my people no man has a claim," the dwarf answered proudly, "for Smaug who stole it from us also robbed many of my kin of life and home. The treasure was never his that his evil deeds merited any share of it. And since it was one among us who slew the dragon and rid this world of his malice, perhaps you would do well to think of who truly owes whom in this matter."

Bard frowned and Ainara could not help but mention that she would not have been able to slay Smaug without Bard's black arrow but this did not sway Thorin.

"In the end, who was it who made the arrow find its mark?" the dwarf asked and no one could contest that the firebender deserved the credit for the dragon's fall. And Bard would not argue this point.

"It is as you have said," the tall man conceded graciously, "and I do not contest it. We are grateful to your warrior for ridding us of the dragon. We simply ask that you honor your word. The wealthy may have pity beyond right on the needy that befriended them when they were in want."

"And may I ask what share of the treasure you would have paid my kindred had you found this hoard unguarded and us slain?" Thorin retorted fiercely and all agreed that this was a just question.

"You would have taken it all without a thought to the suffering of my people," the king continued, "this you know to be true. And so I say that the men of the Lake have no claim on the treasure of the Mountain and you would do well to remember that."

It was clear that all negotiations had come to an end and rather than argue any further, Bard simply gave a curt nod before taking his leave. The company watched the lone figure until he was but a speck on the horizon.

Thorin walked back into the mountain and asked to be left alone for some time. The others respected his request and began to eagerly discuss what had just transpired amongst themselves. They agreed that awkward though the conversation had ended, the results were not exactly untoward.

"He acknowledged the debt we owe to Bard and the Lake-men for their hospitality," Ainara asserted, "and he said that he would compensate them fairly for all their assistance."

"I only wish he had spoken a little more kindly to the man who had helped us enter Lake-town, albeit reluctantly," Balin said with a sigh.

"I suppose since we paid Bard for those services, Thorin does not feel that he owes him anything more," the firebender replied, "to be honest, I think the whole confrontation passed much better than I expected, though I wish they wouldn't argue about who deserves more credit for slaying the dragon."

"That is not even up for argument," Bofur remarked, "I'm sure Bard will agree that you are the one responsible for old Smaug's demise."

"But I can't help feel that this will be a strange bargaining chip for any further negotiations," the warrior admitted.

"Indeed, I believe this issue is far from resolved," Balin agreed sadly, "and that is not the last we will be seeing of Bard."

"And something tells me the next time he faces us, he will not be alone," Dwalin added bleakly.

While they all admitted that the exchange had been relatively reasonable, there remained the sore point of Thorin's speech to the Lake-men, the sole promise he refused to fulfill. And his refusal puzzled them all since they knew that he had spoken sincerely that night and not simply to win the people's favor. It was unlike him to renege on such a promise. He had always been generous even in the years when he had nothing so it was strange that he was so reluctant to part with what would probably be an insignificant portion of his inheritance.

At length, it was Bilbo who dared to ask what the others all wondered. He approached the brooding dwarf and spoke to him directly.

"Thorin, you gave a promise," the hobbit began, "you've won the mountain, is that not enough?"

The dwarf said nothing for a few moments, staring intently at the sea of treasure around him. When finally turned to the hobbit, his expression was grim. "Now, we defend it."

The worried hobbit later spoke to Ainara about Thorin's reaction and they both grew even more concerned about their friend. His words gave the firebender an idea of what to expect and she was not looking forward to it. With a growing sense of foreboding, the hobbit and the firebender realized that this journey had worse things in store for them than a fire-breathing dragon.


	18. Chapter XVII

_Leminkaiya_

Disclaimer: I do not own either "The Hobbit" or "Avatar: The Last Airbender" but the wonderful lady firebender in the story is my precious.

NOTE: Again some of the dialogue I've taken from the book but I've tried my best to fit them to the sequence of events the movies might take. And I've also added some fun lines of my own which hopefully do not seem too incongruous with Tolkien's style. Another heavy chapter, both eventful and emotional, and hopefully not boring.

Enjoy.

**CHAPTER SEVENTEEN**

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As the days passed, the darkness grew heavier within the mountain. The stench of the dragon continued to permeate the air and with it, his malice and greed. In this nauseating atmosphere, the company continued to try and rebuild what was broken all the while unable to prevent a more devastating force from taking hold.

Many long hours Thorin spent in the treasury, brooding over the gold just as the dragon had done. No one could dissuade him from this growing obsession, not his nephews with whom he had been so affectionate only days before, not his old friends and comrades Balin and Dwalin, and not his new friends and sworn companions Bilbo and Ainara. Every attempt they made to reach him was coldly rebuffed. He dismissed them impatiently and they all saw that he was easier to anger than before.

Soon, whatever ailed him was beginning to show in his appearance. There were dark circles around his eyes because he would not eat or sleep properly, so anxious was he that the moment he let his guard down someone would steal his gold once more. He grew paranoid and restless, pacing the halls incessantly and sometimes muttering to himself.

Once, Fili and Kili approached him cautiously and asked him to reconsider his position on sharing their riches with the Lake-men. The rest of dwarves, Bilbo, and Ainara were there as well, anxious to see Thorin's reaction.

"Were it not for the kindness of Bard and his family," Fili argued with Kili nodding by his side, "my brother would not have been saved."

"So you would put your concern for these men over the legacy of our people?" Thorin asked coldly.

"That's not what I meant, uncle," Fili replied but before he could continue, Thorin interrupted him.

"You would dare question me?" asked the older dwarf in a harsh, booming voice that rendered him nearly unrecognizable, "Am I not the KING?"

Thorin's words echoed across the halls followed by a heavy silence. The others could only stare at him in shock. There was a peculiar, almost unnatural light in his eyes as he stood before them and his gaze was filled with rage, pride, and desperation. And something else that seemed familiar to Ainara though she had been too stunned to properly identify it. It was only later that she realized that she had seen the same look in the dragon's eyes.

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"He is not well, can he not feel it?" Ainara complained to Balin one night as they watched Thorin's relentless pacing. Since he would not listen to them, they had taken to watching him and making sure he would not come to any great harm.

The old dwarf sighed sorrowfully. "I'm afraid he is not aware of what is happening to him."

"You told us about this," the firebender remarked, "this…sickness that had plagued his grandfather. Has no one found a cure for it?"

"There is no external cure for what he suffers," the old dwarf explained, "if he is to overcome his family's weakness, he must do it alone."

"I cannot believe that," the firebender said obstinately, "surely, there must be some way for us to help him. This is too much of a burden to bear all by himself."

Balin put a hand on her shoulder and shook his head. "Your feelings do you credit, lass," the dwarf told her gratefully, "and the genuine concern you and Bilbo have shown for Thorin means more to us than you can know. Both of you have been truer friends to him and to us than even those of our kin and we will forever be grateful to you."

"And I to you," Ainara replied in earnest, "for you have welcomed us wholeheartedly and always treated us like your own. And you know how much Thorin's acceptance meant to me."

Balin nodded, remembering the joy that had filled the firebender's face the day Thorin had declared she was one of them.

"So it pains me to see him like this and to be incapable of helping him in any way," the warrior added with grave frustration, "and I know you all feel the same."

"He has fought harder than anyone to avoid following his grandfather's footsteps," Balin said reassuringly, "and he has spent his whole life struggling against his family's weakness. All we can do now is have faith in him and trust that he will have the strength to conquer this."

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A few days later, those in the mountain were roused by the sound of marching. Quickly they ran to the opening at the front gate and watched with wide eyes as large armies approached the mountain. Large camps had been set up during the night. Early that morning a company of spearmen crossed the river and marched up the valley. They bore with them the green banner of the Elvenking and the blue banner of the Lake and they advanced until they stood right before the wall at the Gate.

Thorin stood before them, resplendent in full royal armor, the crown of the dwarven king resting on his noble brow. Under other circumstances his companions would have rejoiced to see him attired thus but they were all too anxious about what was to come.

Nevertheless, they all stood by his side, donning the fine armor of their ancestors. Even Bilbo and Ainara were magnificently dressed for in one of his calmer moments when they first returned the mountain, Thorin had given the hobbit a coat of mail of silver-steel, which the elves called mithril, and which came with a belt of pearl and crystals. And a fine coat of armor had been found for the firebender as well, bearing the colors of her nation, red and black, and she was likewise given a sword and shield. She had been appreciative of the presents, finally feeling like a proper soldier again.

They watched as a host of Elvish bowmen and an army of Lake-men approached, led by Bard and the Elvenking. Thorin's brows furrowed as he laid eyes on the latter and even his companions frowned. The memory of the dungeons was still fresh in their minds and the Elvish host was not a welcome sight to any of them.

"In the name of Esgaroth and the Forest," one of the banner bearers cried, "we speak unto Thorin Thrain's son Oakenshield, calling himself King under the Mountain, and we bid him consider well the claims that have been urged."

Thorin bristled at such an address and replied harshly. "You endeavored to claim our friendship and yet you approach not only with an army but also the host of the Elvenking whom I remember with small kindness. I will not parley with armed men at my gate."

"The Elvenking is my friend," Bard explained, "and he has succored the people of the Lake in their time of need."

"And yet he was content to let me and my people rot in his dungeons to prevent us from regaining the kingdom that is rightfully ours," Thorin replied bitterly, glaring at Thranduil.

The Elvenking returned his gaze with calm dignity. "While recent events may have been regrettable," Thranduil replied serenely, "the current circumstances would call for solidarity amongst our peoples, not animosity. Come, Thorin, son of Thrain, from one king to another, will you not hear our claims?"

"For one with so long a memory you are quick to forget," Thorin retorted, "you have only come here because you have something to gain, a share in the treasure that you have not lifted a finger to help reclaim. You have no right to any of it."

"Even when you trespassed my realm, I offered you my help, did I not?" Thranduil answered, "Or are you so quick to forget a kindness because you rejected it?"

"Come now," Bard interrupted nervously, struggling to maintain civility between the two furious monarchs, "we do not wish to sow anger. We ask only that a portion of the treasure be shared to contribute to the aid of Esgaroth."

"I have said that we will compensate the Lake-men for their assistance," Thorin repeated loudly, "but nothing we will give under threat of force. While an armed host lies before our doors, we shall look on you as foes and thieves!"

Bard sighed and attempted once again to assert his claims. "If Thorin would have the friendship and honor of the lands about, as his sires had of old, then will give somewhat of his own for the comfort of the men of the Lake."

"And he will return the white jewels that rightfully belong to me," Thranduil added haughtily.

"So, what say you, King under the Mountain?" Bard asked finally, "Will you have peace or war?"

All waited with bated breath for the dwarf king's response. Without a moment's hesitation, Thorin seized a bow and shot an arrow at the nearest soldier. It smote into his shield and stuck there quivering.

"I will have war," Thorin declared gravely, and there was a collective sigh of dismay from all present. Even those who stood by his side shook their heads sadly.

"Since such is your answer," Bard responded, "I declare the Mountain besieged. You shall not depart from it, until you call on your side for a truce and a parley. We leave you to your gold. You may eat that, if you will!"

With that, the host of bowmen unleashed a flurry of arrows that fell against the walls of the mountain, as a show of the gravity of the situation. Then, both the armies of men and elves departed, leaving the dwarves to consider their lot. Those who were brave enough to confront him about his decision were immediately accused of treason.

"There is no need for any more blood to be spilled for the mountain. The dragon is gone. We have no quarrel with the men or the Elves, why not take their offer and have peace, uncle?" Balin argued, "Have we not fought long enough?"

"You would take the side of the Elves against me?" he questioned them, enraged, "You, my own kin?"

"You know we would never do that," Balin replied, trying to appease him, "but don't you think this has gone too far?"

"I am the king and this is my decision," Thorin replied stubbornly, "if you question it, than you are a traitor and must leave my presence at once."

The others fell silent. None of them agreed with how he was handling the situation but they were wary of enraging him further and pushing him to make even more unwise decisions. He refused to listen even to his nephews, who had never seen their beloved uncle in such a state and were growing quite distressed. Soon, only Bilbo and Ainara still tried to approach the implacable king while the rest of the dwarves watched with apprehension.

"Thorin," the hobbit had said gently, "I know you want the best for your people but can you not see that this will only make things worse?"

"What do you know of what's best for MY people?" the dwarf asked bitterly.

"I know that all warmongering is not like you," Bilbo replied somberly, "but somehow you cannot see what you have become."

Thorin glared at him. "And you forget your place, Master Burglar," he said bitterly, "and you would do well to remember to whom you are speaking."

Bilbo gave a small bow and walked away, not daring to say more. Thorin's words had wounded him deeply and he needed a quiet moment to reflect on all that was happening. As he rejoined the dwarves, they all gave him sympathetic glances.

"I no longer know who he is," the hobbit thought, sighing sadly, "only that he is not the Thorin Oakenshield who called me a friend after we escaped from the goblin tunnels."

Ainara put her hand on his shoulder comfortingly and he gave her a grateful smile. She turned to look at Thorin and Bilbo asked her, "Are you sure you can face him?"

She nodded gravely though she understood her friend's concern. "I have to try," she whispered back.

So the firebender took a deep breath and walked towards the brooding dwarf king. He noticed her approach and instantly grew suspicious.

"And what do YOU want?" he asked defensively

Ainara winced slightly at his harsh tone but began carefully, "The Elvenking threw us all into his prison and drugged me to try and suppress my firebending. I have not forgotten that and so I feel no friendship towards him."

Thorin had not expected anyone to agree with him so he listened curiously. Encouraged by his silence, Ainara continued, "Though Bard and his family showed us hospitality in Laketown, I cannot say the same for the rest of the people there. I had the impression that the Master's welcome was false and I noticed how eager he was to send us off to the mountain to face our deaths. And I have little reason to trust anyone who pleads for peace with an army behind them."

Thorin visibly relaxed at this. "Finally, someone who sees sense," he said approvingly and Ainara was tempted to leave it at that. But she knew she could not and steeling herself for what would happen, she continued.

"But I do not believe that this is reason enough to start a war," she concluded, watching with dismay as Thorin frowned angrily at her words.

"So, for all your fine words," he declared resentfully, "you would side with the enemy. You still care more about them."

"I don't care about them, I care about you!" Ainara protested, no longer able to contain herself, "You do not realize what you are doing and I know you will regret this."

"How dare you presume to speak to me this way?" Thorin cried furiously, "You have no right!"

"You and I both know the pain and suffering a war causes to all sides involved," Ainara continued fervently while she still had some of his attention, "A share of this treasure is a small price to pay for peace. I beg you, you must wake up before it is too late!"

Thorin bristled and turned his back to her, walking up to where the throne of the king. Once in a position to look down on her and everyone else who had gathered in the room to witness his reaction, he declared arrogantly, "A king has no need for the opinions of his subjects. He demands only their loyalty."

"I am not your subject," Ainara retorted proudly but quickly added, "but you know that I have always been loyal to you."

"Then you would do well to remain so," the dwarf king warned coldly, "Challenge me again and you will be my enemy. And I shall make sure that no one else will benefit from your power."

Ainara stiffened and stared back at him, eyes widening with shock. But Thorin's gaze was hard and unforgiving and at that moment she realized that he was looking at her as he would another weapon in his arsenal, another piece in his vast collection of treasure. This stung her more than any of his harsh words and she clenched her fists at her sides, struggling to maintain her composure. Those who stood closest to her noticed that small fumes emanated from her clenched fists and they backed away carefully.

The firebender suddenly adopted a military posture. She gave a sharp bow to Thorin before turning around and marching off to the nearest secluded area. No one dared follow her. Even Bilbo understood that she needed some time alone to process what had just taken place. He felt the same way and went off to further reflect on the wretched situation. A plan was forming in his mind, one he hoped would bring all of this misery to an end.

Finding an empty room that was a safe distance from the rest of the company, Ainara unleashed all her fury and frustration. The strain of the past days was taking its toll on her as she screamed, kicked, and punched the ancient stone walls with flaming fists. The rage of the firebender was intense and she continued to strike the walls even when her fists bled and burned and she could barely see through her angry tears. Not long after, she collapsed in a heap on the floor, bending her head on her knees as she sobbed.

For all this, she did not blame him, she could not blame him for any of it. The one who had spoken those hurtful words and given those piercing looks was not the Thorin Oakenshield she knew. She remembered the dragon's words ruefully. Old Smaug had anticipated all of this and was enjoying his revenge from beyond the grave.

"To see Oakenshield suffer," the beast had said and she was certain that he was suffering but she could do nothing to help him and that was what truly enraged. Nothing frustrated her more than her inability to save him from this curse.

"You can watch it destroy him, watch it corrupt his heart, and drive him mad," the dragon's taunts echoed in her mind as she continued to weep, no longer certain of how to proceed. He did not deserve any of this, but what could any of them do for him now? For the first time in the journey, all her strength and courage were of no use to her.

After the night's events, clinging to hope became a greater challenge. The rest of the dwarves shared the sentiment, no longer taking delight in the mountain's many treasures. So engrossed were they in their sorrow that none noticed a certain burglar steal away into the night.


	19. Chapter XVIII

_Leminkaiya_

Disclaimer: I do not own either "The Hobbit" or "Avatar: The Last Airbender" but the wonderful lady firebender in the story is my precious.

NOTE: I have to confess that the first section of this chapter is taken almost completely from the book because I don't see any point in changing most of the dialogue. But the second half is all me, for sure. And it was very emotional to write. Hopefully, it reads that way too. And if it gets a bit cheesy, I apologize.

Enjoy and have a good weekend!

**CHAPTER EIGHTEEN**

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The next day the banners of the Forest and the Lake were seen to be borne forth again and a company approached the mountain, among them Bard, the Elvenking and an old man wrapped in cloak and hood bearing a casket of iron-bound wood. The members of the company moved sluggishly towards the entrance, not eager to face the new challenge. They had all spent an uneasy evening and none had slept well, if they had managed it at all.

Bilbo, in particular, seemed completely exhausted. There were dark bags under the hobbit's eyes and he struggled to stay awake. But Ainara was in even worse condition and the hobbit rushed to her in concern the moment they met in the hall. Her hands were bandaged and her eyes were red and swollen. It was clear that she had spent the night in tears. She greeted her friend with a sigh, unable to muster enough energy even for a small smile. There was little time for them to exchange a word or two before the day's negotiations and though there was much Bilbo had wanted to confide to his friend, he decided that it would be for the best that she remained ignorant of what he had done the night before.

"Hail Thorin!" greeted Bard, "Are you still of the same mind?"

"My mind does not change with the rising and setting of a few suns," Thorin replied gravely, "Do not ask me idle questions! The elf-host has not departed and till then you come in vain to bargain with me."

"Is there then nothing for which you would yield any of your gold?" Bard asked, unfazed.

"Nothing that you or your friends have to offer," Thorin answered stubbornly.

"What of the Arkenstone of Thrain?" said Bard and at the same moment the old man opened the casket and held aloft the jewel. The light leapt from his hand, bright and white in the morning.

Thorin and the dwarves were stricken dumb with amazement and confusion and for some time, no one dared to speak.

"That stone was my father's and is mine," Thorin said, his voice thick with wrath, "Why should I purchase my own? And how came you by the heirloom of my house, if I must ask such a question of thieves?"

"We are not thieves," Bard answered calmly.

But Thorin's rage grew and he repeated, "How came you by it?"

"I gave it them!" cried a frightened Bilbo and all his companions turned to stare at him in utter incredulity. Even Ainara could not believe the hobbit's confession.

"You! You!" cried Thorin in fury, turning upon the hobbit and grasping him with both hands, "You miserable hobbit! You treacherous burglar!"

"Thorin, let him go," Balin appealed and Ainara stood close by in case Bilbo came to any great harm.

But Thorin would not be appeased and he lifted up the poor hobbit in rage. "I wish Gandalf were here! Curse him for his choice of you!"

"Your wish is granted," said a voice and the old man with the casket immediately threw aside his hood and cloak. "Here is Gandalf! And none too soon it seems! If you don't like my burglar, please don't damage him. Put him him down, and listen first to what he has to say!"

"You all seem in league!" Thorin shouted angrily and turned his furious gaze at the stunned firebender, "Perhaps even you who claim such loyalty!"

Ainara shook her head vehemently but before she could protest, Bilbo came to her defense.

"She had nothing to do with this!" the hobbit asserted, "This was my idea and mine alone. You have no reason to doubt her!"

"And why must I believe the words of a professed traitor?" Thorin asked.

"Because he speaks the truth," Gandalf answered, "Whatever grievances you may have against Mister Baggins, you cannot take against Lady Ainara. She has proven her loyalty to you many times over."

Thorin narrowed his eyes at the firebender but focused his anger once more on the hobbit. "Never again will I have dealings with any wizard or his friends! What have you to say, traitor?"

"Only this", Bilbo replied nervously, "The time was when you seemed to think that I had been of some service. I retrieved the Arkenstone for you, as promised, but when I saw what you have become, and what you remain blind to, I thought that I must entrust it with others until you can see reason once more."

"So it seems you played your role too well and you have been rather high-handed about what you have no right toss," Thorin retorted, "Go now and may we never meet again! Take this traitor, if you wish him to live, and no friendship of mine goes with him!"

As Thorin and Bard continued to argue, Bilbo was sent down the mountain, escorted by Ainara who was loathe to part with him. She brought him before Gandalf and hesitated about going back.

"You need not worry about me," the hobbit told her reassuringly, "I will be with Gandalf so I will be all right."

"I will not ask you to make a difficult choice," the wizard told the firebender gently, "I know where your heart lies, in spite of everything. You are unfailingly loyal. But you are no fool and I leave it to you to make this stubborn king come to his senses."

"I will do my best," Ainara replied, nodding gratefully to the wizard. It was painful not to take the side of one who had saved her life but she could not abandon the dwarves in such a state. And she knew that Gandalf understood her decision.

"I know you will take good care of them all," Bilbo said, "and I know you and I will meet again someday."

"We shall always be friends," Ainara promised, shaking the hobbit's hand before returning to the mountain.

"You are making a poor figure as King under the Mountain," Gandalf scolded, "But this is no time for the stubbornness of dwarves to prevail. A greater fight lies ahead of us and it is in the interest of all here present. The goblins and orcs who pursued you in the forest have amassed an army and they are marching to the mountain. Now more than ever must we settle old quarrels and unite if we are to vanquish the forces of darkness that have gathered against us."

"I no longer trust the words of a wizard who brought a traitor into my company," Thorin replied obstinately, "and if indeed there is a battle to be fought, do not expect the support of the Mountain. The Elvenking turned his back on us in our hour of need. It is time he felt the bitterness of that betrayal."

Gandalf shook his head in dismay but said nothing more. It was clear that there would be no reasoning with the dwarves as they were and he only hoped that things would change before it was too late. Thorin and his company returned into the mountain, barring the gates, and shutting out the rest of the world.

Gandalf saw that the issue of the dwarves would have to be resolved within the walls of Erebor and he put his trust in those who remained reasonable. He knew his warning had not fallen on deaf ears. In the meantime, he needed to discuss battle plans with Thranduil and Bard. He knew that they had little time before the fell armies of the goblins and wargs arrived at their doorstep.

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Once within the confines of the mountain, a heated argument erupted amongst the dwarves. There was discord in the company now with some of them now grew daring enough to question Thorin's decisions, even his own nephews.

"Did you not hear what Gandalf said, Uncle?" Kili argued, "This fight is bigger than us now."

"The orcs who chased and attacked us and who wounded my brother are coming with an army," Fili continued, "and it will take the combined strength of all dwarves, men, and elves to stop them. The dragon may be dead but there are other enemies approaching our gates."

"And you would call those greedy elves and men outside our friends?" Thorin asked grimly, "Those who stole the Arkenstone, my birthright, and use it to bargain for our gold?"

"Gold, gold, gold, is that all you can think about?" Kili spoke out audaciously, causing some of the others to gasp. Fili stood by his brother protectively as they watched Thorin's expression grow vicious. Even Ainara was on her guard.

"How dare you," Thorin said in a chilling whisper, "you show no respect for the legacy of your fathers. You act unworthy of the noble blood that runs through your veins, the blood of Durin!"

Kili opened his mouth to speak further but his brother stopped him, placing a hand on his shoulder and shaking his head. The dark-haired dwarf decided to hold his tongue for the time being but both of them reeled from the shock at being spoken to thus by their beloved uncle. Balin shook his head sadly and the others looked down glumly. With a heavy heart, Dwalin approached Thorin.

"Bilbo was right," he said softly, "you do not see what you have become."

But Thorin paid no heed to his words and merely turned away and walked back to the throne room where he could sit and contemplate his gold. The others could only stand and watch as his obsession consumed him. And not a day went by that Ainara did not curse the gold for what it had done to a kind and noble heart.

Soon, sounds of a great battle could be heard and the dwarves looked out and saw that it was as Gandalf had said. A host of orcs, goblins, and wargs had arrived to attack the mountain and the surrounding lands and were only being held off by the armies of the Lake-men and the woodland Elves. Every day the fighting grew fiercer and the dwarves watched in horror as more and more fell on the battlefield. They urged Thorin to let them join the fight but he was adamant and refused to lift a finger to help.

"We are safe here," he would say, "let them slay each other and so rid us of all are enemies at once."

The arguments between the uncle and his nephews grew increasingly violent until one day, Kili could no longer hold back. He confronted his uncle angrily and declared that with or without the latter's consent, he would join the fight.

"Do not be a fool, Kili!" Thorin warned him but the younger dwarf would not be swayed.

"I will not hide while others fight our battles for us!," Kili cried passionately before storming off to leave the mountain, his brother not far behind him.

"I'm sorry, Uncle," Fili said earnestly, "but we cannot stay here and do nothing."

"Go, then, traitors!" Thorin roared, "You are no kin of mine."

Fili and Kili looked back on their uncle sadly but they had made their decision. The others remained in the mountain though it pained them to have to watch two of their number leave in such terrible conditions.

"This cannot go on," Ainara thought with a frown, "drastic measures are called for."

As she watched Thorin stalk back to his throne room a plan began to form in her mind. The next few days she spent many hours in quiet reflection, no longer giving in to violent fits of anger and frustration as she had done before. The others noticed how withdrawn she had become and began to worry.

"It is unlike you to keep to yourself like this," Balin remarked in concern one evening, "Is anything the matter?"

"I've been forming a plan," Ainara explained, her tone hopeful, "Bilbo took a great risk by doing what he did, and I think it's time I did the same."

The old dwarf nodded to her, curious about her plans. She was in better spirits than she had been in several days so he knew any ideas she had would be sound.

"What is it you have in mind?" he asked.

"I can't quite explain it," she began, "but I think that if I found the right way to challenge Thorin, this evil fever of his will finally break. The solution must be extreme but it might be a way to set him free."

She described her plan to the old dwarf and soon he was able to discreetly assemble the others so that she could consult them on the matter. They discussed her ideas and conceded that it was interesting but risky. But then, they could offer no suggestions.

"I cannot be certain that this will work," the firebender admitted, "but if you will allow me, it is a gamble I am willing to take."

"You risk much to do this," Balin said finally, "But we all know how determined you are to help Thorin so we trust that you will do right by him no matter what."

The rest of the dwarves nodded in agreement and Ainara bowed to them gratefully before going off to make the necessary preparations.

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"What do you think you're doing?"

Thorin had entered the throne room to find Ainara leisurely sitting on the throne, leaning her head on one hand and playing nonchalantly with a small flame in the other. She pretended not to notice Thorin at first and when he spoke, she did not even look at him.

"I've been thinking," she replied absently, "Since it was I who defeated the dragon, perhaps I have the most right to all this lovely gold. After all, the only way he got the treasure in the first place was by taking it."

At this she extinguished the flame in her hand. Thorin glared at her, stunned by such audacity. But she paid no notice to his reaction.

"The more I think about it," Ainara continued casually,"the more the idea appeals to me."

"What idea is that?" Thorin asked.

It was only then that the firebender turned to face him, her golden eyes staring directly at the puzzled dwarf.

"I should be King under the Mountain," Ainara declared menacingly, standing up to her full height and igniting a large flame in her right hand.

Taken aback, Thorin said nothing at first. Then, he narrowed his eyes at her and defensively put a hand to the sword on his side.

"You cannot do that," he replied grimly, "You have no right to the legacy of my forefathers."

"And what do you intend to do about it, _dwarf_?" she spat out the last word derisively.

In a swift moment, Thorin unsheathed his sword, picked up a shield that had been resting not far from the throne, and got into a fighting stance. Ainara smirked and descended from the throne until she was face to face with him, a sword of fire raised against one of steel.

"Let us see who is strong enough to be king," she challenged and the duel began.

Thorin showed no fear and matched every blow launched by the firebender with his sword while dodging fire blasts with his shield. He had seen her powers and he remembered that she had slain the dragon single-handedly but he would not surrender.

Ainara fought fiercely and with no hesitation, her movements precise and graceful, the results of years of training. She kept every attack in moderation, conserving her energy in case she would need to prolong the fight. So much was at stake.

"For all your fine words," Thorin said accusingly, "you've proven to be a traitor and usurper!"

He slashed at her with his sword but she parried the blow easily, paying no heed to his words. She kept her focus on his eyes because it was there that she saw how far the madness had taken hold. There was grim determination there and she knew that he would fight to the death.

"I should have never allowed you back into the mountain," the dwarf continued, dodging a fire blast thrown his way.

"Why did you?" the firebender asked.

"To see the look on Gandalf's face when you turned your back on him," replied the dwarf.

Ainara frowned and unleashed a fire-whip which only hit Thorin's shield. He tried to lunge forward to stab her but she easily evaded his attack. And so they continued to trade blows, those of Thorin deadly and deliberate while those of Ainara were calculated and cautious. The duel continued for many hours with neither combatant pausing for respite. The rest of the dwarves had gathered to witness the battle and they looked worriedly from one warrior to the other. Word had been sent to Fili and Kili and they had returned promptly to witness the firebender's daring endeavor.

The dragon-sickness seemed to give Thorin prolonged strength and none of his movements faltered for a moment. Fortunately, Ainara had the stamina to match him and had kept her own motions as sparse as possible. She was capable of fiercer attacks but she dared not use her full powers. This was a test of strength of a different kind.

But as the duel progressed, the firebender began to lose heart. The cold expression in Thorin's eyes had barely changed. He continued to taunt and accuse her but she no longer listened. She only waited for the occasional flicker in his eyes that showed that this whole endeavor was not in vain.

Her expression remained that of a fearsome warrior. She did not want to risk confusing her opponent by revealing how she truly felt. She had presented herself as an enemy and she would have to maintain the charade until the end. But she felt herself become weary, her despondency growing as she stared longer into those cold, hard eyes. Her movements slackened and she did not dodge the attacks as smoothly as she could have. But even as the firebender shifted her pace, her opponent remained relentless.

Ainara felt herself on the verge of despair. Doubt began to plague her. This was a foolish plan and it would not succeed. But they were past the point of no return. If he did no open his eyes now, all would be lost. In spite of all her efforts, her eyes began to fill with tears.

"This is the worst moment for this to happen," she thought in frustration but she could not fight both her emotions and her opponent. The flames she launched began to flicker.

"Not so invincible after all," Thorin mocked.

"I never claimed to be invincible," Ainara muttered, kicking a small fire which the dwarf blocked with his shield. Then, in a moment of distraction, she stumbles on a piece of treasure, a golden cup, that lay strewn on the floor.

Losing her balance, the firebender landed on her back. Her opponent took advantage of this opening and stood over her, his sword aimed at her throat. Ainara made no move to get up and merely sighed with resignation.

"I did not think you would fall so easily, dragonslayer," he declared arrogantly, "but it seems we have determined who truly is the stronger warrior."

He raised his sword to deal the death blow when his cold gaze met hers.

"Did you really think that I could ever betray you?" she whispered, and for the first time the gold that he saw were the tear-filled eyes of a friend.

The glow of madness left him and he blinked, as if waking from a long slumber. When he realized what he was about to do, he dropped his sword in horror and backed away.

"Forgive me," he muttered, falling to his knees in remorse, "forgive me."

But Ainara had taken his hands in hers gently and smiled at him through her tears of joy and relief.

"You have returned to us at last," she cried triumphantly, "I never lost faith that you would."


	20. Chapter XIX

_Leminkaiya_

Disclaimer: I do not own either "The Hobbit" or "Avatar: The Last Airbender" but the wonderful lady firebender in the story is my precious.

NOTE: Welcome to the penultimate chapter.

This journey is nearing its end and I really hope that it's been worth it. In this chapter, I've tried to balance some quiet emotional moments with some (hopefully) intense battle scenes. And I have to say that while my characterization of Thorin is mostly based on the movie, my take on Bilbo is based probably more on the book. I will be posting the final chapter at the end of the week.

Enjoy.

**CHAPTER NINETEEN**

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There was great rejoicing in the mountain that day for Thorin had freed himself from the curse of the dragon. More than the vast riches and grand halls, the dwarves valued the heart of their king.

They gathered around him eagerly and his two nephews immediately covered him in a warm embrace, all of them laughing and crying with immense relief. In moments, all the other dwarves threw their arms around the three and they were lost in an enormous group hug. The firebender who had been so involved in these events smiled and attempted to give the dwarves some privacy but someone quickly pulled her into the hug as well. Everyone was talking at once, from cheers of jubilation to tearful apologies and heartfelt thanks. It was chaos of the best kind.

For the next few hours Thorin could not stop apologizing for his behavior. He was touched and amazed at how easily they were able to forgive him when they had just causes to remain angry. But they all reassured him that while they had been very worried and distressed by what had happened, they understood that it had not been under his control and they were simply pleased that he had triumphed over the evil that had attempted to conquer him. So moved was he by their understanding and sympathy that he remained speechless for some time.

Once things had settled down, Fili, and Kili and approached Ainara and conveyed their personal gratitude. Thorin listened and nodded with agreement, still too overwhelmed by all that happened. He allowed his beloved nephews to express how he felt so sincerely.

"How can we ever thank you for what you've done," Fili said earnestly, taking the firebender's hand and shaking it warmly.

Ainara smiled with some embarrassment. "You give me too much credit," she replied modestly, "and it was a crazy idea to begin with. I wasn't sure it would work but I couldn't think of anything else."

"Well, none of us ever thought of it," Kili commended, dispelling some of the gravity of the situation, "and it proved to be very effective."

"You gave a very convincing performance," Bofur applauded, "even we were taken in at first."

"But we know you better than that," Dwalin added with a smile, "and it seemed very unlikely that even the strongest of us would emerge unscathed from a duel with you."

"I was very careful," the firebender admitted, "it would have been counterproductive for me to so much as singe a single hair on the beard of the king."

"And I must have been truly delusional to believe I could have defeated you so easily," Thorin remarked with a small smile, "it was strange that I so quickly forgot that you had slain a dragon."

"But you woke up and fought against the delusions," Ainara said gently, "I call that a greater victory than slaying a dragon."

"You are too modest, as always," Fili told her, "but we all want you to know that you have been a truer friend to us than even those of our kin. You have already done more than we could have ever hoped for. And we shall be eternally grateful."

"I am honored by your thanks," Ainara replied cordially, giving a small bow, memories of her native customs coming back to her, "and I hope to continue being of service to you in the days to come."

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Later on, Thorin approached Ainara on his own to properly express his gratitude. He had spent some time in quiet reflect on his own and he seemed to have reached certain momentous decisions. But before anything, he needed to speak to her.

The firebender felt even more embarrassed by all this but understood that this was necessary. And she also appreciated having the opportunity to speak to him alone since she did not have that chance when they had ended their mock duel. It was unspeakably refreshing to see him look like himself again. The crazed, haggard look had left him and though he looked tired, there was more color to his cheeks and his voice had that kind and gentle quality he always had despite its gruffness.

"What can I say that has not already been said?" he began solemnly, "But it would be unworthy of me not to thank you personally. You saved me."

"You saved yourself," Ainara reminded him, "I helped you with my little masquerade because I could tell that you were struggling and that with the right incentive, you might finally rid yourself of your grandfather's curse. So far your actions had still been tempered with some reason and logic which is what made it hard to reach you. So I decided to try something quite ridiculous and uncharacteristic to shake you up a bit."

"You had such faith in me?" he asked incredulously.

"I believed you when you told me you trusted me," the firebender explained, "so I knew that the real you would see through the whole charade. And you did."

"But the memory of everything else I said and did continues to haunt me," he said gravely, "and it well should. There is regret to be felt and and I must feel it. I was weak, so weak."

"But you fought against it," Ainara argued, "Balin told me how hard you had always been fighting so I knew that you would never give up."

Thorin nodded gratefully though he still looked uncertain. Gently, Ainara put a hand on his shoulder to reassure him. Even when those close to him had repeatedly told him that they did not blame him, he still felt the weight of guilt and regret.

"The disease may have taken hold of you at first," the warrior told the king, "But you prevailed in the end and that's what matters. It won't be easy but some day I hope you will forgive yourself."

"Someday, perhaps," he conceded sadly, and then continued with growing determination, "but now it is time for me to make amends for my decisions."

With confidence and conviction, the King under the Mountain gathered his company before him. The sounds of the battle that raged beyond their walls had not stopped resounding in the mountain and now these would not be ignored.

"Everything I did," Thorin began earnestly, "I did for my people."

"No one here doubts that," Balin reassured him.

"I know that in recent days I have not acted as worthily as I should," he went on and though the others started to protest, his stern look dissuaded them, "but those days of darkness has past and I see clearly that we must join in this fight. As you have reminded me, it is only by working together that we may succeed in defeating the armies of darkness who are determined to destroy us."

Ainara and the dwarves listened with great pride. Thorin was wearing a different armor now, not the magnificent golden regalia of before but a more subdued, black attire, which suited him very well. Now at last was the true king standing before him and the loyalty they all felt for him grew a hundredfold seeing and hearing him thus.

"My friends, all that's left for me to ask is this," Thorin concluded with quiet conviction, "will you follow me one last time?"

And they did.

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From the mountain came a great shout. Part of the wall, moved by levers, fell outward with a crash into the pool. There was a loud explosion and a wall of fire that destroyed the goblins who dared approach. Then, the fire was brushed apart like a curtain and out leapt the King under the Mountain, and his companions followed him.

Their sudden arrival gave them the advantage and for the first few hours, these fierce warriors made short work of some of the goblin hordes that had dared advance upon the mountain. Each dwarf had greater reserves of strength to draw from than the Lake-men and Elves who had been fighting for several days. Thorin's company were fresh and well-prepared and showed their enemies no mercy. Whether by sword or by axe, with arrows or spears, the dwarves tore through the ranks of the assembled goblins and wargs.

"To me! To me! Elves and Men! To me! O my kinsfolk!" he cried and his voice shook like a horn in the valley. His presence inspired such faith and courage that many of the allies listened to his call and ran to his side.

Down rushed all the dwarves of Dain, who had gathered there in the days past, to help. Down too came many of the Lake-men and even many of the spearmen of the elves. All stood behind Thorin Oakenshield and his company as they charged the ranks of the orcs and goblins, scattering many a foul creature and leaving even more dead on the field.

Thorin wielded his axe and sword with mighty strokes, and nothing seemed to harm him. Wolf and rider fell or fled before them. For they faced much more than the might of the thirteen dwarves. There was also the wrath of the firebender, who had recovered from her fight with the dragon and was more eager than ever to bring more foes to the ground.

So great was her power that many who fled believed that the dragon was returned from the mountain but fighting on the side of the dwarves. Only Smaug's rotting carcass reminded them that the great creature was no more and yet the large displays of firebending gave the weaker goblins cause enough for fear. Rumor had spread of the firebender's power but many of the goblins had dismissed these as fantasy and only when they saw the spread of large flames did they finally believe. And a great number of them came to believe too late and the ground was soon strewn with the smoking corpses of the skeptical.

Onwards she ran, the master firebender, in the battle she felt she was born to fight in. Ever the warrior, she felt truly in her element as she smote goblin after goblin with daggers or swords of flame. Eagerly she unleashed fireball after fireball. Her feet circled the ground before her unleashing deadly fire on any who blocked her path. All the moderation she had shown in her mock duel with Thorin was now cast aside and it was invigorating to finally fight an enemy she could really defeat.

The dwarves, elves, and men steered clear of her and could only be relieved that they had such a powerful being on their side. They marveled at how much destruction one person was capable of and how easily the battle turned with her arrival along with Thorin's company.

Ainara enjoyed herself more than she cared to admit as she was finally free of all restraints. Here was also an opportunity to try as many firebending techniques as she could think of and she was as creative as possible, observing the terrain carefully and choosing whichever style would take down more enemies. Her presence had terrified the wargs more particularly and it was enough for these wild wolves to see the hellfire she created for them to abandon their riders and flee for safety, only to be taken down by the elvish archers.

Since a greater number of the goblins ran from her, the firebender created long whips of fire to reach them without having to give chase. They screamed as they were taken down relentlessly. She would not risk having any goblin live to fight another day. As far as she was concerned, they were all a threat to her friends and that was more than enough to keep her focused on their safety.

She did not venture too far from her companions and went to their aid whenever she saw any foe approaching them. She would take down a goblin with a fire whip before it could reach any of the dwarves. And likewise, they would warn her to dodge any arrows flying her way or bring their axes down on any orc that managed to get near her. Different though their weapons may have been, they were comrades in arms and they would protect each other no matter what.

And even in the heat of battle, Ainara searched for her good friend Bilbo. Not finding any sign of him either in the fight or among the fallen, she was relieved. Though she was confident Gandalf would have kept him safe, she knew that he was a brave hobbit and might have tried to help where he could. But she also knew, after their encounter with the dragon, that he was extremely skilled at keeping himself hidden and she fervently hoped that this was the case. But she hoped that she would be able to see him again before all of this was over.

Night fell and all the armies began to retreat temporarily. Many had fallen on both sides but thanks to the intervention of the King under the Mountain, the casualties of the enemy had been greater. Some of the surviving goblins even fled from the battle altogether, not daring to continue the campaign against such fearsome foes. But the fight was not yet over and come the dawn, when everyone had had a chance to regroup and recover, their greatest test would come.

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Once some calm had been restored, the leaders of the armies assembled to discuss their plans, this time joined by Thorin Oakenshield. The dwarf king presented himself humbly and was determined to explain his behavior to them all, fully expecting reluctance and even rejection. Gandalf saw the change in him and was glad. The wizard then championed his cause and welcomed him among those who were directing the battle.

Despite earlier bitterness, Thorin was grateful for the wizard's help and for his part, the latter was relieved to see the dwarf returned to himself. He had always feared for Thorin, knowing his family's history with gold. But now the wizard saw that the grip of the dragon's sickness was not as strong and insidious as it had once been and his heart was glad though he sensed something in Thorin like resignation. None of them knew how the final stages of the battle would end but they were all prepared to face all manner of consequences.

Meanwhile, after a thorough search through the camps, Ainara found her old friend. The hobbit was overjoyed to see her and immediately gave the firebender a warm embrace. He had heard of the involvement of Thorin's company in the battle and he was eager to know all the details.

"I am so glad to see you again!" the hobbit cried with delight, "You must tell me everything."

"I would be happy to," Ainara replied with a smile, "for I have been longing to see you as well to share the good news, in spite of this battle."

"It has been a horrid time," Bilbo conceded, "but if you have good tidings of our friends, then all this will be more than tolerable."

"Then, you will be pleased to hear what I have to say of our dear dwarves," the firebender began and the hours passed as she recounted in detail all that had happened in the mountain. The hobbit listened intently to the story and marveled at how well everything had turned out. He did not hesitate to praise his friend for what he thought was an ingenious plan though naturally she was too modest to take credit for it. And he expressed his relief once she finished that the unpleasantness he had reluctantly left behind was now finished.

"This battle is a dreadful business, to be sure," the hobbit remarked with distaste, "but it is a great comfort to know that my friends are all well. I do not doubt in your strength in combat but I had been very worried about your state of mind. But this is very good news indeed!"

Fortunately, there was still some time for peace before the fighting resumed when the sun rose so they spent more time in each other's company, as they had not had a chance to do in a long while, having always been surrounded by dwarves. As they were both weary of discussing heavy matters, the conversation turned to other, more pleasant things. Bilbo longed for home more than ever and even Ainara could not deny that she missed some of the comforts of the Shire. They had been through so much in the journey that it seemed they had left another life behind them. Naturally, this was true of Ainara and Bilbo admired her fortitude.

"You are still the strong, dependable friend I have always known," the hobbit commended her, "even more so, I must say. How can you remain untouched by all that has happened?"

"I wouldn't say I'm untouched by recent events," the firebender replied with a laugh, "if anything, I feel scarred by them. And yet, I don't mind this so much. I was raised to take honor in my scars if they are worthily won."

"Indeed, they are," Bilbo said reassuringly, "saving our lives countless times, slaying a dragon, and saving a king. There are few who can boast of such great deeds."

"You must give yourself some credit in these ventures as well, my dear friend," Ainara reminded him, "you have saved our lives a few times too and it was through your cleverness that we escaped even more unpleasant ends."

"Oh, the things we've seen on this adventure," the hobbit said wistfully.

They spent a few moments in companionable silence, reflecting not only on this journey but of the years they had known each other. Ainara did not know why she was suddenly seized with nostalgia but since she did not often give in to it, she did so now. She looked at the hobbit fondly, admiring his ability to maintain some cheerfulness even in the midst of dire circumstances.

"We have our memories, you and I," the firebender told the hobbit with a smile, "You were one of my first friends in this world and you always made me feel welcome even when I gave you little cause to be kind."

"I sensed that you were a foreigner of some kind and that everything was new to you," the hobbit admitted, "I could not imagine how much you had to adjust and I simply wanted to make it easier for you."

"For which I have always been most grateful," Ainara replied earnestly.

The hobbit remembered when Gandalf had first introduced them. She had been very timid and withdrawn, never rude but distant. She had almost seemed lost. It had taken some months for her to warm to him and when she did, their friendship grew strong.

"I always did love coming for tea at Bag End," the firebender said wistfully.

"And you never came empty-handed," the hobbit added, "you alway brought your excellent pies. I used to wonder how you kept them so warm that they always seemed fresh out of the oven. Now I know why."

They both laughed at this. "I did not dare do more than that," the firebender said, "I was afraid to shock you. And I didn't want to lose one of the few friends I had. I know now that I was mistaken about you and that you would not have turned me away."

"I would have been surprised," the hobbit admitted, "but I would regret the loss the pies more than anything."

Ainara laughed again and they both savored such a rare moment of merriment. The hobbit was glad to see her in such good spirits again. Her smile was a welcome sight.

"But even on your more cheerful visits, I sensed that you were unhappy," the hobbit commented solemnly, "no matter how hard you tried to hide it."

"Always so perceptive, my friend," Ainara admitted, "you understand now why I seemed so restless."

"You were never meant to live a quiet life," Bilbo declared sagely.

"As it turns out," the firebender replied with a grin, "neither were you."


	21. Chapter XX

_Leminkaiya_

Disclaimer: I do not own either "The Hobbit" or "Avatar: The Last Airbender" but the wonderful lady firebender in the story is my precious.

NOTE: The end is here at last. Thank you for joining me on this wonderful journey. And now here is the conclusion. I will express my gratitude more extensively at the end of the chapter.

Enjoy.

**CHAPTER TWENTY**

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Thorin and his company stood by their allies as the dawn broke the next day. They had marched from the mountain up to Ravenhill to make their last stand. In the hand of the dwarf king was his sword, Orcrist, having been restored to him by the elves since he had proven more than worthy of it. No one now could deny the nobility of the dwarf king.

Despite the carnage of the previous day, the orc and goblin armies still had the most fearsome of leaders to keep them fighting. They still had a troop of giant mountain trolls at their beck and call as well as a herd of evil bats bred for the sole purpose of war. And many of the valiant elves, men, and dwarves had already fallen in the first waves of the battle. Those who were left were all exhausted, some injured, and though much of their courage had been restored, this might not be enough to sustain them for the final rally. But they would not go down without a fight.

Thorin's powerful presence continued to bolster the troops and with his battle cry, he rallied elves, men, and dwarves to his side. All now recognized the glory of the King under the Mountain and they were happy to fight with him against the legions of filth who had marched from Dol Guldur.

The army of dwarves from the Iron Hills followed the lead of Dain, Thorin's cousin and a mighty leader in his own right. They had come to the aid of their kinsman and now continued to fight and show that a dwarves army was a force to be reckoned with. They advanced with proud battle cries in their noble tongue, mercilessly cutting down goblins and orcs who were foolish enough to underestimate them.

The Elvenking led his army and this time he no longer rode his majestic elk but joined the battle himself, showing his skills as an experienced swordsman. Something had disturbed his calm demeanor and he now fought with a rage that made one's blood run cold. He was resplendent with a dangerous beauty and many orcs realized too late how quickly he could cut them down.

The Lake-men continued to follow the lead of Bard who, true to his ancestor's legacy, proved to be a fearless leader and skilled fighter. Gone was the humble bargeman who did the Master's bidding. In his place was a kingly figure, noble and courageous, inspiring faith in all his fellowmen. No one hesitated to fight by his side.

And in all this, there stood the wise and impressive figure of Gandalf the Grey. The wizard continued to inspire the three armies not just with his words of counsel but also with his immense power that sent many of the enemies cowering in terror. With sword and staff, he marched on the orcs and goblins and many were shocked that such an old man had such strength in him.

Once more, swords and spears clashed against shields, arrows filled the air, and axes fell upon the weak. And in the midst of all this, fire spread through the enemy's ranks, the dragonslayer unleashing her fury on the goblins and orcs who were daring enough to remain on the battlefield. As she charged, she carried the shield given to her by Thorin, it was light to carry but made of the sturdiest of steel. With one arm she raised up her shield to deflect any arrows shot at her as she extended her other arm and blasted fire all around.

Now that the enemy was aware of her presence and her power, they took special pains to get rid of her. They knew that much would be turned to their favor if they could but slay the dragonslayer. But this proved more difficult than they could have foreseen since not only was Ainara capable of defending herself, she was also well-protected by her friends and even some loyal soldiers who appreciated her support in the battle. She was quick enough to dodge arrows that were being shot at her and none could get near her without getting burned. And even when several vicious bats tried to attack her from above, she would set them ablaze with a swift motion of her hand.

"Kill them all!" the orc leaders bellowed in their harsh tongue, "None must leave here alive!''

And so on Ravenhill, the battle raged. More and more fell from both sides and no victory was forthcoming.

But even the mightiest can falter. And though the goblins and orcs were easily killed, there seemed to be no end to them. Hordes continued to swarm into the battlefield replacing their fallen comrades while the numbers of the elves, men, and dwarves dwindled without hope of replacements or reinforcements. The exhausted warriors had to contend with fresh troops of foul goblins and there was no time for respite.

For all her ferocity, even Ainara's knees began to buckle and she felt the strain of the battle take its toll. The flames she shot out were smaller and she launched fireballs less frequently. She decided that she had been imprudent in her use of energy at the start because she had hoped that the battle would soon be concluded. She now tried her best to conserve the little energy she had left so that she could still fight. But she was no longer sure how much time she would be able to do so. Even before they had left the mountain, she had sensed that this might be her final battle and she did not want to waste the limited time left to her.

The firebender looked around her, checking on the state of the rest of her companions. They had been scattered to different parts of the zone of combat. In addition to all she already felt, she was worried about them because if she was weighed down by the fatigue of hours of incessant fighting, then surely they were in a similar predicament. And her goal had always been to protect them from all harm as much as she could.

On one side, she saw Balin and Dwalin keeping up the fight, the latter loud and fierce but less so than he had been earlier on. The older dwarf's movements were slow but still quick enough to outwit his enemies. The firebender caught brief glimpses of Oin, Gloin, Bifur, and Bofur running across the field as well as the unmistakable figure of Bombur warding off goblins left and right with an axe in one hand and a spear in the other.

Ainara raised her shield to deflect some arrows and as she threw fire in the direction of her attackers, she scanned the field for the others. She noticed Dori, Nori, and Ori fighting side by side with the two older dwarves standing protectively in front of the younger, who had grown quite skilled with a slingshot and sword.

Kicking some flames into the face of an approaching orc, Ainara heard the fierce war cry of Fili as he advanced, sword cutting through more orcs. She then heard the twang of Kili's bow as he loosed arrow after arrow on any who approached his brother. And to her surprise, Ainara recognized the tall, slender figure of Tauriel who loosed arrows and stabbed with orcs with her dagger while standing beside the dark-haired dwarf.

The firebender threw a fireball at a handful of bats who had been about to attack her and she noticed a large troll fighting a duel with the light-haired elf warrior she had learned was the son of the Elvenking. But even the graceful elves were moving slower than they used to, their pale faces were smudged with the dirt of the battlefield, and their armor torn and dented in places.

There was one other in the company whom the firebender had not yet noticed and she grew more concerned even as she hit a leaping goblin with her shield. But after scanning Ravenhill one more time, she saw him and to her relief, he did not seem gravely injured. Thorin was valiantly holding his own against a large troll and despite the disparity in size, the latter was beginning to falter after the relentless blows of the dwarf king's Goblin-Cleaver.

But like everyone else, Thorin looked tired and it seemed like he was drawing energy from his determination rather than any physical reserve. He too kept an eye on the members of his company and it brought some comfort to see that none had fallen yet. But he also noted that all were growing weary and even the flames shot by Ainara were beginning to flicker. With a decisive blow, Thorin finished off his current opponent and taking the moment of calm, he came up with a plan. He ran to the center of the rocky outlook and raised his glimmering sword in the air.

"To me! To me! My loyal companions!" he cried out fiercely, "This journey has proven that we are strongest when we are together! So let us fight side by side once more!"

He finished with a rousing battle cry in his native tongue and this was echoed with the same cry by twelve other dwarves. And even Ainara managed to answer since they had taught her this cry during their journey and she taken pains to learn it since she hoped to have cause to use it one day. And so that day arrived and she was proud to share in their valor.

Thus the company of Thorin Oakenshield rallied together and formed a near unbreakable formation with Thorin at the front, his nephews on one side, Ainara on the other, their weapons raised, their expressions grim and determined. Together they marched and broke through the dense orc battalions. They smashed and slashed, stabbed and shot arrows, and unleashed fire upon all who faced them. Their dauntlessness gave heart to the rest of the troops to retaliate with grater ferocity. They knew that this show of strength would not last very long but fortunately it lasted long enough.

For the sky was filled with the shadows of majestic winged creatures who had come to join in the fight. The Eagles had arrived and many wondering eyes watched in wonder as these noble creatures swooped down, grabbing goblins with their talons and tossing them against the rocks or over nearby cliffs. With their giant beaks they gave frightful cries and with powerful flaps of their wings they sent the bats away in fear.

"Our luck has turned at last," Bofur remarked as he and the others gazed at the might of the eagles.

But they were disrupted by the sound of beating drums that announced the arrival of a new and fearsome foe. The orcs sneered with glee as they made way for Azog the Defiler. The pale orc brandished his spiked club and glared challengingly at the company, and at one in particular. Thorin returned his gaze and stepped forward.

"We have some unfinished business," declared Azog menacingly, pointing at the dwarf king.

"Today, we end this," Thorin replied resolutely, raising his elven-forged sword.

Though worried, the others let him pass. They all understood that they were not to interfere and this was strictly between Azog and Thorin.

Fili and Kili simply nodded and silently wished their uncle well. Ainara suppressed the urge to fight with Thorin because she very much understood that this was a matter of honor.

"Let us have faith in him," Balin said solemnly as the duel began.

"He is strong, he will succeed," Dwalin acquiesced gravely and the others agreed.

They did not have long to witness that decisive duel since there were still orcs and goblins that needed slaying. But as they fought, they were always conscious of the movements of their king.

For some this proved to be too distracting and in letting their guard down during a crucial moment, Fili and Kili were almost hit by orc arrows. Someone leapt in front of them and the arrows crashed against a metal shield and their archers had to contend with a blast of fire in their direction.

"Be careful!" Ainara scolded the stunned brothers, "This battle is not over yet!"

"Thank you," they replied in unison and they promised not to be so careless again.

"I don't blame you for being worried though," the firebender added with a gentler tone as she punched fire ahead of her, no longer at aiming at anyone in particular, since there were only orcs in that direction. Her movements grew slightly erratic, the fatigue weighing down every step.

The two young dwarves also noticed with horror that some of the orc arrows had found their mark on her legs and even on her sides. Before they could feel guilty about her risking her life for them, they noticed that what had hit her were no ordinary orc arrows such as those that had been shot at them. These were smaller darts that had undoubtedly been shot without her noticing them.

"Those are certainly laced with poison," Kili remarked in alarm, "how can she still manage to stand?"

"Her strength is remarkable," Fili said, "but she cannot keep this up for much longer."

"Ainara, you've been hit, let us help you," Kili told her with concern.

"Thank you," the firebender relented weakly, "and I know I've been hit. We cannot risk the battlefield now."

"But you need medical attention!" Kili protested, shooting an arrow at a nearby goblin.

"It doesn't matter," the firebender muttered in response, "there's nothing we can do. It's not as bad as it looks so let us keep fighting."

The brothers would have protested more but the warrior was stubborn and still proved capable of fighting. She was determined to protect them and she would not let anything stop her, not even their good intentions. The truth was she had felt her strength waning long before she had been struck by the poison darts. These would accelerate what was coming but not by much. Ainara knew what Fate had in store for her and she had already accepted it.

As the battle wore on, they were joined by another unexpected ally. The massive figure of a bear tore through the ranks of hapless goblins and the company recognized Beorn in his most ferocious form. They were grateful and infinitely relieved that he was on their side.

A loud cry was heard and at once, Ainara and the dwarves turned to see Azog fall to his knees, vanquished at last. Thorin stood over him, chest heaving, his sword coated in the orc's blood. They all let out a cheer except Ainara who had noticed something amiss about Thorin. He was exhausted and his face and armor were streaked with blood, whether his or Azog's Ainara could not be sure. All she saw was that he had not the strength to even look at his comrades. Instead, he fell to his knees and then his whole body hit the ground.

"No!" the firebender cried as the other dwarves stared in shock.

But before anyone could run to Thorin, the gigantic bear Beorn reached him first and gently carried him away from the thick of the battle to safety. But nothing was the same after that moment. With the fall of Azog, the outcome of the fight had been all but decided. The remaining orcs and goblins attempted to fight back but they were easily retaliated. And indeed they were no match to the lone firebender who seemed to have lost all control.

Ainara was screaming in rage and sorrow as she threw flame after flame around her, shooting and blasting haphazardly at anyone who so much as approached her friends. Her wounds deepened and she began to bleed but she took no notice. She spun around, creating a ring of fire around the other dwarves who had gathered around her to fight and also out of concern for their friend. They had never seen her in such a state but none of them dared approach her just yet.

There was fire, wild and terrifying, spread across the battlefield, driving away the remnants of the enemy forces. It was only when the warrior was certain that there were none left to challenge them that she finally collapsed to the ground in utter exhaustion.

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Ainara blinked her eyes and everything slowly came into focus. Vague memories of what had happened stirred in her mind but she was too tired to make any sense of them.

"Is it over?" she whispered weakly.

"Yes, it is," replied a familiar, kindly voice and the firebender turned to see Gandalf leaning over her in concern. They were in a tent where all the wounded had been taken. She was covered in bandages and she smelled all sorts of ointments and salves that would at most simply lessen the pain but nothing else.

"And they are safe? All of them?" Ainara asked, grabbing the wizard's arm, her expression turning slightly frantic.

"All of them are safe," the wizard told her reassuringly.

"And Bilbo?"

"Bilbo as well," Gandalf said truthfully, reluctant to reveal that the hobbit had yet to be found and not wanting to agitate the worried warrior, "but he is resting."

"Then I shall not disturb him," the firebender said with a smile, much to Gandalf's relief. But knowing that she would not be at peace until she was certain the old man gave someone some instructions all the while holding the firebender's hand.

"I need to know," Ainara insisted, "I need to see them."

"And so you shall," Gandalf said gently. A few minutes later, the tent was crowded with dwarves, and they heaved a collective sigh of relief upon seeing their friend alive.

Ainara smiled weakly at them and thanked Gandalf. She frowned when she counted ten but soon the others were making way for the injured Thorin who was being supported on either side by Fili and Kili. He was covered in bandages as well and looked in no better condition than she. But he smiled when he saw her. Gandalf stepped aside and the others made room for him. Thorin's nephews laid him down so that he was kneeling by her side. He took one of her bandaged hands in his.

"You're here," Ainara whispered tearfully, her voice strained, "I'm glad to see you alive and well."

"But not for much longer, I'm afraid," Thorin told her sadly.

Already he was barely clinging to life. His injuries were taking their toll on him and he knew that he would soon meet his fate. And seeing that she was in a similar, if not worse, state, he did not want their last meeting to be shadowed by deceit of any kind.

"I see," she replied, suppressing a sob and keeping a brave face, a soldier to the last, "So I've failed. I could not save you."

"You already have," Thorin told her, squeezing her hand tightly, "more times than you realize."

Faintly, she nodded in response, and her breathing grew labored. Now she felt certain that her moment had come.

"Gandalf," the firebender whispered, "You saved me and then, gave me something to fight for. Thank you, for everything."

The wizard nodded sadly. Long he had lived and though he had seen many friends depart from this life, every new parting remained as painful as the first. But he saw that she was content with this end, that she was proud to leave on her own terms.

"I'm sorry that Bilbo is not here," Ainara remarked, "but you will say good-bye to him for me, won't you?"

"Of course," the wizard replied reassuringly.

The others immediately sensed what was happening and though some turned to the wizard, he shook his head and they knew that there was nothing he or anyone could do. Thorin continued to hold her hand firmly.

"We will never forget you," sobbed several of the dwarves.

"Do not look so sorrowful, my friends," Ainara told them with a smile, "this is where my road ends but what a road it has been thanks to all of you! I have known such glory in your friendship and that is more than I could have ever hoped for. But now my fire is extinguished."

The warrior turned her gaze to Thorin and a look of understanding and gratitude passed between them. Closing his eyes, he leaned forward until his forehead was resting on hers. She closed her eyes as well and sighed.

"It was an honor to fight by your side, my king," she said softly.

"My friend," Thorin said, correcting her with gentleness.

"My friend," Ainara repeated with a smile, glancing up at him before closing her eyes for the last time.

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Many years later, when Bilbo Baggins decided to tell the tale of his adventures, he made certain to honor the memory of the two who had fallen and who would always remain very dear to his heart: Thorin Oakenshield, the noble leader of the company, and Ainara, the fifteenth companion.

-FIN-

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_Thank you very much for joining me on this emotional journey!_

_I have been mapping this story out in my head for more than a year and I didn't think I would have the energy to write it all down but here we are. It even ended up longer and more detailed than I had initially planned. And I've never finished so long a story in such a short period of time. I've been unusually inspired by this and I've been very proud to share this with you all._

_And in case you were wondering, the title is the Eldarin word for "fifteenth" which is pretty self-explanatory._

_Ainara is my most developed OC so far and she will always have a special place in my heart. I am very fond of her and this is how her story was meant to end from the very beginning. So I hope you find it satisfying._

_(But I'm going to try something I've never done with any of my stories before: an alternate ending. I have several alternate endings for this that I don't intend to write but I got an idea when the second trailer for the movie came out and I just could not let it go. So I'll be posting a short, three-chapter story which changes the ending and picks up from Chapter Sixteen of this story, if anyone is interested. It's called "Guardian of the Mountain" and it was such a fun idea not to execute.)_

_I decided to stick with this ending, tragic though it may be, because that was the original plan and I think that this is what the character always wanted. And it's been hinted in several previous chapters so I hope it doesn't seem too surprising._

_Thank you so much to everyone who has read this story! I just can't be thankful enough to you all for taking the time to read and even review this crazy creation of mine. It's a crossover and with an OC so I didn't expect it to have much of a following and yet there were still many of you who decided to give the story a chance, for which I am most grateful._

_And apparently, someone added this story to the "Can't Get Enough Of" community so I'm very flattered about that!_

_Now, some individual thanks are in order because I just love showing my appreciation._

_Thank you to everyone who added this story to their alerts: Atea1793, BrieKayee, Centh97, Freebooter 4Ever, Imagenary26, Kiley S. Snape, Kuro Neko to Kuro Bara, MYSTERYGEEK, MonsterSlut, RurouniSakura, SakuraDragomir, Sparks67, TheNoWhereMan, animebella09, norseseeker, and pinky-pie._

_Thank you to everyone who added this to their Favorites: Atea1793, BrieKayee, DarkMoon010, Imagenary26, JollyLoser, LCluvanime, MonsterSlut, PyroGrl94, SakuraDragomir, WheeljacksGril, animebella09, kale yoga, momopanda95, and pinky-pie._

_Thank you to the anonymous guest who left a review at the start._

_And a HUGE thank you to SakuraDragomir and Freebooter4ever for reviewing every single chapter! I've looked forward to reading your comments after posting every chapter and I love that you've taken the time to send me lovely feedback._

_This has been really long but I just wanted to properly thank everyone for sharing this adventure with me!_

_Till the next story!_


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